Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Saturday issued a statewide stay-at-home order, in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus, as Kansas is expected to see as many as 900 cases over the next week.
According to a press release issued by the governor's office Saturday, the order takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday and will be in place at least through April 19.
“Our modeling continues to suggest that the number of confirmed positive coronavirus cases in Kansas could reach as high as 900 over the next week,” Kelly said, during a press briefing Saturday morning. “While I left these decisions to local health departments as long as possible, the reality is that the patchwork approach that has developed is inconsistent and is a recipe for chaos and, ultimately, for failure in our statewide fight to slow the spread of COVID-19.”
Kelly said she put the order in place for the following reasons:
- Provide statewide uniformity in response efforts;
- To prevent overwhelming hospitals - especially rural hospitals - who may not have the capacity to handle an influx of COVID-19 patients;
- To buy Kansas more time as state officials work with federal partners to secure badly needed protective personal equipment (PPE), additional ventilators and COVID-19 testing supplies.
Under Executive Order 20-16, Kansans are directed to stay home unless performing one of the following essential activities:
- Obtaining food, medicine and other household necessities;
- Going to and from work at a business or organization performing an essential function as identified in the Kansas Essential Function Framework https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/EO-20-15-Executed.pdf;
- Seeking medical care;
- Caring for children, family members or pets, or caring for a vulnerable person in another location;
- Engaging in an outdoor activity, provided individuals maintain a distance of six feet from one another and abide by the 10-person limitation on gathering size.
“I know this is hard, and I can’t tell you how much I wish it weren’t necessary,” Kelly said. “But we have a small window to ensure that Kansas does not suffer the same terrible fate of other hard-hit states like New York and Missouri. We’ve all got to do our part to help stop the spread of the disease. Stay home. Stay Safe.”
Visit the Kansas Department of Health and Environment website for additional virus-related information, and visit getkansasbenefits.gov for federal stimulus benefits updates or to file for Unemployment Insurance benefits.
As of Saturday, 261 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in Kansas, with five deaths.
Since Thursday, two confirmed cases of the virus have been reported in western Kansas - one in Gove County and one in Stevens County.
Only the Gove County case is currently being reported by KDHE.
The Gove County case involves a young, healthy woman who recently traveled out of state, but no other information is being provided at this time.
The Stevens County case involves a man who recently traveled to an area outside of Stevens County with a high incidence of COVID-19 transmission.
Health officials from both counties are investigation all close contacts of the individuals and those were exposed are being contacted and asked to monitor for symptoms of the virus.
