TOPEKA – Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) Secretary Laura Howard announced Monday, The Kansas Neurological Institute (KNI) has 12 new positives cases in five staff members and seven residents, according to a media release.

Howard also announced&nbsp;that one staff member at Osawatomie State Hospital (OSH) has tested positive for COVID-19. This is the first positive case at OSH in either residents or staff.

To protect the identity of staff and residents at each hospital,&nbsp;no further information will be released.

Friday, June 19, an employee at OSH reported a positive test result to the hospital’s infection control nurse. In coordination with the Miami County Health Department, all 11 residents on the unit who were in close contact with the positive employee will be tested as a priority. A testing strategy that reaches beyond those working or living on the unit is currently being discussed and several steps have been taken to further maximize safety precautions already in place to minimize risk of further exposure:

“This is an extremely stressful time for patients, their loved ones and our staff members,” OSH Superintendent Kristin Feeback said. “We recognize that communication with patients, families and staff is critically important, especially after a confirmed COVID-19 case. I appreciate our staff being so responsive and adaptive to the instructions given by local health officials to make sure we do all we can to prevent the spread of the virus as effectively as possible.”

Thursday, June 18, KNI reported one staff member and one resident in the same home on campus tested positive for COVID-19 and at least one more staff member was symptomatic. Officials at KNI worked in collaboration with the Kansas Department for Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Shawnee County Health Department to administer more than 80 tests to all staff working in the affected home as well as all residents in the building where that home is located. At the time of this release, those tests have resulted in positive cases in five staff members and seven residents in three living units covering two campus buildings. Three of the 12 positive cases at KNI are symptomatic, but zero currently require hospitalization.

KDHE and KNI and local health department officials are expanding testing on campus in the coming days to include all staff in potentially affected areas with a goal of an additional 200 staff tested by end of day today. Residents in all three affected living units have already been tested. KNI continues to follow similar PPE practices to those implemented at OSH.

“We are thankful to the health officials at the state and local level for their quick and effective communication and response,” KNI Superintendent Brent Widick said. “Our residents are like family and we work very hard to keep them safe, so this kind of news takes a real emotional toll on our staff.”

KNI reported its first two cases of staff members on April 17 this year. Both of those cases have been cleared.

TOPEKA – Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) Secretary Laura Howard announced Monday, The Kansas Neurological Institute (KNI) has 12 new positives cases in five staff members and seven residents, according to a media release.Howard also announced&nbsp;that one staff member at Osawatomie State Hospital (OSH) has tested positive for COVID-19. This is the first positive case at OSH in either residents or staff.To protect the identity of staff and residents at each hospital,&nbsp;no further information will be released.Friday, June 19, an employee at OSH reported a positive test result to the hospital’s infection control nurse. In coordination with the Miami County Health Department, all 11 residents on the unit who were in close contact with the positive employee will be tested as a priority. A testing strategy that reaches beyond those working or living on the unit is currently being discussed and several steps have been taken to further maximize safety precautions already in place to minimize risk of further exposure:<ul>
 <li>Any employee with direct, close contact with the positive employee has been contacted and begun a 14-day quarantine as instructed by the Miami County Health Department.</li><li>Any patients directly exposed to the positive employee are strongly encouraged to isolate in their room and wear a facemask anytime they leave their room.&nbsp;Patients on the unit where the employee worked will remain on the unit and are being closely monitored for any change in status. COVID-19 testing will be implemented at the appropriate time according to time of exposure.</li><li>At this time, there will be no admissions to the affected unit. All staff working on the affected unit are required to wear full personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times, to include nurses, other professionals, security and housekeeping.</li><li>Separate entrances and exits have been established on the affected unit to minimize exposure to staff and patients on other units.</li><li>The frequently touched surfaces in the affected unit are now being disinfected three times per shift.</li>
 </ul>“This is an extremely stressful time for patients, their loved ones and our staff members,” OSH Superintendent Kristin Feeback said. “We recognize that communication with patients, families and staff is critically important, especially after a confirmed COVID-19 case. I appreciate our staff being so responsive and adaptive to the instructions given by local health officials to make sure we do all we can to prevent the spread of the virus as effectively as possible.”Thursday, June 18, KNI reported one staff member and one resident in the same home on campus tested positive for COVID-19 and at least one more staff member was symptomatic. Officials at KNI worked in collaboration with the Kansas Department for Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Shawnee County Health Department to administer more than 80 tests to all staff working in the affected home as well as all residents in the building where that home is located. At the time of this release, those tests have resulted in positive cases in five staff members and seven residents in three living units covering two campus buildings. Three of the 12 positive cases at KNI are symptomatic, but zero currently require hospitalization.KDHE and KNI and local health department officials are expanding testing on campus in the coming days to include all staff in potentially affected areas with a goal of an additional 200 staff tested by end of day today. Residents in all three affected living units have already been tested. KNI continues to follow similar PPE practices to those implemented at OSH.“We are thankful to the health officials at the state and local level for their quick and effective communication and response,” KNI Superintendent Brent Widick said. “Our residents are like family and we work very hard to keep them safe, so this kind of news takes a real emotional toll on our staff.”KNI reported its first two cases of staff members on April 17 this year. Both of those cases have been cleared.

12 cases of coronavirus at Kan. Neurological Institute 

SPRINGDLE, AR. (AP) — Tyson Foods is looking into reports that China’s customs agency has suspended poultry imports from a Tyson facility in the United States after coronavirus cases were confirmed among its employees.

A Tyson spokesman said Sunday that the plant in question is in Springdale, Arkansas.

“At Tyson, we’re confident our products are safe and we’re hopeful consultations between the U.S. and Chinese governments will resolve this matter,” wrote spokesman Gary Mickelson in an email to The Associated Press.

“Our top priority is the health and safety of our team members, and we work closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to ensure that we produce all of our food in full compliance with government safety requirements,” the statement added.

Mickelson also noted that all global and U.S. health organizations, in addition to the U.S. Food &amp; Drug Administration, agree that there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with food.

The announcement out of China on Sunday gave no details of the quantity of meat affected.

On Friday, Tyson Foods announced the results of coronavirus testing at its facilities in Benton and Washington Counties, Arkansas, and said that about 95 percent of employees who ultimately tested positive for the virus didn’t show any symptoms. Of the 3,748 employees tested, 481 tested positive for COVID-19, and 455 were asymptomatic.

There have been several other COVID-19 outbreaks at Tyson plants around the United States, including in North Carolina, Nebraska, and Iowa.

In November, China lifted a five-year ban on U.S. poultry. China had blocked U.S. poultry imports a month after an outbreak of avian influenza in December 2014, closing off a market that brought more than $500 million worth of American chicken, turkey and other poultry products in 2013.

SPRINGDLE, AR. (AP) — Tyson Foods is looking into reports that China’s customs agency has suspended poultry imports from a Tyson facility in the United States after coronavirus cases were confirmed among its employees.A Tyson spokesman said Sunday that the plant in question is in Springdale, Arkansas.“At Tyson, we’re confident our products are safe and we’re hopeful consultations between the U.S. and Chinese governments will resolve this matter,” wrote spokesman Gary Mickelson in an email to The Associated Press.“Our top priority is the health and safety of our team members, and we work closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to ensure that we produce all of our food in full compliance with government safety requirements,” the statement added.Mickelson also noted that all global and U.S. health organizations, in addition to the U.S. Food &amp; Drug Administration, agree that there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with food.The announcement out of China on Sunday gave no details of the quantity of meat affected.On Friday, Tyson Foods announced the results of coronavirus testing at its facilities in Benton and Washington Counties, Arkansas, and said that about 95 percent of employees who ultimately tested positive for the virus didn’t show any symptoms. Of the 3,748 employees tested, 481 tested positive for COVID-19, and 455 were asymptomatic.There have been several other COVID-19 outbreaks at Tyson plants around the United States, including in North Carolina, Nebraska, and Iowa.In November, China lifted a five-year ban on U.S. poultry. China had blocked U.S. poultry imports a month after an outbreak of avian influenza in December 2014, closing off a market that brought more than $500 million worth of American chicken, turkey and other poultry products in 2013.

Hundreds test positive for virus at Tyson Foods plant 

By ALEX SMITH <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-06-18/as-kansas-and-missouri-reopen-new-research-says-states-still-lack-enough-contact-tracers-to-slow-covid-19">Kansas News Service</a>

Health experts say that contact tracers—health care workers whose job
 it is to reach out to individuals who may have been exposed to the 
coronavirus to instruct them to isolate—are essential to keep COVID-19 
from spreading. 

But updated research shows that both Kansas and 
Missouri lack adequate numbers of contact tracers even though both 
states have been gradually reopening for weeks. Still, some health 
officials dispute the findings.

While many cities, counties and 
states have made significant progress in COVID-19 preparedness, many 
others are still struggling on contact tracing, including Johnson 
County, Kansas, which has made huge strides in testing but still doesn’t
 have enough contact tracers.

“Right now, no,” wrote Johnson 
County health department spokeswoman Barbara Mitchell in an email, 
explaining that the county is currently understaffed and would be even 
further strained in the event of a new surge of COVID-19 cases.

Nationally,
 few states currently have enough of these workers, according to an 
analysis by NPR using data from George Washington University’s Contact 
Workforce Estimator.

Kansas currently has 12.33 contact tracers, 
including reserve workers, per 100,000 residents, short of the roughly 
17 per 100,000 needed, according to the analysis.

Missouri, 
meanwhile, has only .49 tracers per 100,000 residents, well below the 
roughly 14 per 100,000 needed there, the analysis shows.

However, 
the NPR analysis for Missouri only includes contact tracers working for 
the state health department, not those working in county and local 
health departments. The omission, which was not explained in the NPR 
report, likely makes the state’s capacity appear much lower than it 
actually is.

The George Washington University researchers based their estimates of contact tracer needs on 14-day case counts.

Health
 officials say that efforts to recruit contact tracers have been 
hampered by lack of funding and the time and effort required to hire and
 train these workers.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment 
spokeswoman Ashley Jones-Wisner wrote in an email that, so far, the 
state has generally managed to handle its contact tracing needs.

“Currently,
 our state has adequate contact tracers to assist local health 
departments with multiple surges should they request assistance,” 
Jones-Wisner wrote.

She explained that contact tracing is usually 
performed by people working in local and county health departments, and 
that state tracers are only used when local and county workers are 
overwhelmed.

She says that the state contact tracers, which 
include dozens of reassigned staff members and volunteers, have only 
been called upon to help in two local Kansas outbreaks, in Ford and 
Jackson counties.

Many state and local health departments, 
including Johnson and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas and Jackson County 
and the city of Kansas City in Missouri, are currently hiring full-time 
contact tracers to work on a temporary basis.

Missouri’s 
Department of Health and Senior Services did not immediately respond on 
Thursday to inquiries regarding contact tracers, but some local health 
departments in the Kansas City area indicated that they were struggling.

The
 Kansas City, Missouri, health department currently has a total of three
 full-time workers doing contact tracing, with other staff currently 
reassigned to do the work part time, according to spokesman Bill Snook.

Kansas
 City, Missouri has received no state or federal funding for contact 
tracing, Snook wrote in an email, and is currently funding the work 
through the local health levy.

Many of the city’s contact tracers have also been experiencing fatigue with the work.

“Some
 contacts or cases do not understand the need or want to comply our 
instructions which adds to the stress and emotional, mental and physical
 toll it takes on the multiple teams working multiple parts of the 
pandemic response,” Snook wrote in an email.

The Jackson County, 
Missouri, health department is aiming to complete its contact tracing 
team during the next two months, according to spokeswoman Kayla Parker.

Parker
 says the health department plans to have 10 contact tracers per 100,000
 residents, which she acknowledges is less than the recommended capacity
 of 15-30 tracers per 100,000. She notes that the health department did 
not receive the full amount of federal CARES funding it requested.

She says that lack of public cooperation also continues to derail contact tracing efforts.

“One
 obstacle we continue to face is resistance from some individuals in the
 community to provide information,” Parker wrote in an email. “In order 
to protect our population, it is imperative that people respond to our 
calls and give their contacts.”

Alex Smith is a health reporter for KCUR 89.3.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592578627821.png" alt="Ashley Peterson is a contact tracer for the Kansas City Health Department. Kansas City Health Department photo" />
 <figcaption>Ashley Peterson is a contact tracer for the Kansas City Health Department. Kansas City Health Department photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By ALEX SMITH <a href="https://www.kcur.org/health/2020-06-18/as-kansas-and-missouri-reopen-new-research-says-states-still-lack-enough-contact-tracers-to-slow-covid-19">Kansas News Service</a>Health experts say that contact tracers—health care workers whose job
 it is to reach out to individuals who may have been exposed to the 
coronavirus to instruct them to isolate—are essential to keep COVID-19 
from spreading. But updated research shows that both Kansas and 
Missouri lack adequate numbers of contact tracers even though both 
states have been gradually reopening for weeks. Still, some health 
officials dispute the findings.While many cities, counties and 
states have made significant progress in COVID-19 preparedness, many 
others are still struggling on contact tracing, including Johnson 
County, Kansas, which has made huge strides in testing but still doesn’t
 have enough contact tracers.“Right now, no,” wrote Johnson 
County health department spokeswoman Barbara Mitchell in an email, 
explaining that the county is currently understaffed and would be even 
further strained in the event of a new surge of COVID-19 cases.Nationally,
 few states currently have enough of these workers, according to an 
analysis by NPR using data from George Washington University’s Contact 
Workforce Estimator.Kansas currently has 12.33 contact tracers, 
including reserve workers, per 100,000 residents, short of the roughly 
17 per 100,000 needed, according to the analysis.Missouri, 
meanwhile, has only .49 tracers per 100,000 residents, well below the 
roughly 14 per 100,000 needed there, the analysis shows.However, 
the NPR analysis for Missouri only includes contact tracers working for 
the state health department, not those working in county and local 
health departments. The omission, which was not explained in the NPR 
report, likely makes the state’s capacity appear much lower than it 
actually is.The George Washington University researchers based their estimates of contact tracer needs on 14-day case counts.Health
 officials say that efforts to recruit contact tracers have been 
hampered by lack of funding and the time and effort required to hire and
 train these workers.Kansas Department of Health and Environment 
spokeswoman Ashley Jones-Wisner wrote in an email that, so far, the 
state has generally managed to handle its contact tracing needs.“Currently,
 our state has adequate contact tracers to assist local health 
departments with multiple surges should they request assistance,” 
Jones-Wisner wrote.She explained that contact tracing is usually 
performed by people working in local and county health departments, and 
that state tracers are only used when local and county workers are 
overwhelmed.She says that the state contact tracers, which 
include dozens of reassigned staff members and volunteers, have only 
been called upon to help in two local Kansas outbreaks, in Ford and 
Jackson counties.Many state and local health departments, 
including Johnson and Wyandotte Counties in Kansas and Jackson County 
and the city of Kansas City in Missouri, are currently hiring full-time 
contact tracers to work on a temporary basis.Missouri’s 
Department of Health and Senior Services did not immediately respond on 
Thursday to inquiries regarding contact tracers, but some local health 
departments in the Kansas City area indicated that they were struggling.The
 Kansas City, Missouri, health department currently has a total of three
 full-time workers doing contact tracing, with other staff currently 
reassigned to do the work part time, according to spokesman Bill Snook.Kansas
 City, Missouri has received no state or federal funding for contact 
tracing, Snook wrote in an email, and is currently funding the work 
through the local health levy.Many of the city’s contact tracers have also been experiencing fatigue with the work.“Some
 contacts or cases do not understand the need or want to comply our 
instructions which adds to the stress and emotional, mental and physical
 toll it takes on the multiple teams working multiple parts of the 
pandemic response,” Snook wrote in an email.The Jackson County, 
Missouri, health department is aiming to complete its contact tracing 
team during the next two months, according to spokeswoman Kayla Parker.Parker
 says the health department plans to have 10 contact tracers per 100,000
 residents, which she acknowledges is less than the recommended capacity
 of 15-30 tracers per 100,000. She notes that the health department did 
not receive the full amount of federal CARES funding it requested.She says that lack of public cooperation also continues to derail contact tracing efforts.“One
 obstacle we continue to face is resistance from some individuals in the
 community to provide information,” Parker wrote in an email. “In order 
to protect our population, it is imperative that people respond to our 
calls and give their contacts.”Alex Smith is a health reporter for KCUR 89.3.&nbsp;

Research: States still lack enough contact tracers to slow virus

PHOENIX (AP) — When the coronavirus flared in China’s capital this week, Beijing canceled flights, suspended reopenings and described the situation as “extremely grave.” But with cases rising in some U.S. states, local officials have balked at even requiring people to wear masks.

In the United States, which has the most confirmed cases and deaths in the world, authorities wrestled Wednesday with balancing demands for constitutional rights and personal freedom with warnings from health officials that being lax will have deadly consequences.

China responded to a new outbreak in Beijing by scrapping more than 60% of its flights to the capital, canceling classes and strengthening requirements for social distancing. It was a sharp retreat for the nation that declared victory over COVID-19 in March.

China’s actions follow about 137 new cases, a fraction of the number some U.S. states see each day. In Arizona, more than 1,100 people visited emergency rooms on Tuesday alone with positive or suspected cases. Alabama also is running out of hospital space, stirring impassioned debate over a mask requirement. Other states that haven’t mandated face coverings, like Texas and Florida, are seeing infections soar.

With masks becoming a political symbol, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has taken aim at President Donald Trump’s approach to the pandemic.

“Donald Trump wants to style himself as a wartime president. Unlike any other wartime leader, he takes no responsibility, he exercises no leadership, now he has just flat surrendered the fight,” Biden said Wednesday.

Biden has worn a mask repeatedly at public events, while Trump hasn’t, even on occasions such as touring auto factory floors when they are required. Aides say Trump believes they’re unflattering and that wearing one projects weakness.

The mask debate is playing out nationwide, notably in hard-hit states where face coverings have become a political and cultural debate.

Hundreds of medical professionals signed a letter urging Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey to require them. Facing mounting pressure to act as cases surge, the Republican said cities were free to mandate masks.

Ducey, who removed his mask before speaking to reporters, said there were vastly different rates of infection across the state.

“For some things, a statewide directive or executive order works very well,” he said. “If you have 12 or 13 counties that say ‘pound sand’ on an executive order ... it’s a self-defeating executive order.”

Ducey has attributed Arizona’s soaring cases to increased testing. The state has been doing more tests, which can yield more cases, but health experts say a better way to see if more people are getting sick is to look at the percentage of positive tests. When that percentage rises, it means the outbreak is worsening — not just that more people are getting tested.

Arizona has the nation’s highest seven-day average positive test rate: 17.7%, or about double the national average and well above the 10% threshold that health officials find worrisome. It also has the most new cases per capita in the U.S. in the past 14 days. The state’s leading hospital system says it’s almost running out of beds.

Ducey said roughly 300 National Guardsmen would help with contact tracing. Several restaurants and other businesses have closed because staff tested positive in the last week.

The same thing is happening in parts of Florida, where people under 35 are testing positive at a higher rate since the pandemic began, contributing to a surge in cases, officials said Wednesday.

The coastal city of St. Petersburg had three popular bars close after employees tested positive, and it’s now requiring workers who have contact with the public to wear masks — which some hard-hit cities in southern Florida have been doing for weeks.

Mayor Rick Kriseman said he also plans to require people to cover their faces in businesses and other public spaces.

“We can wear a mask, protect others and ourselves, or we can contribute to someone’s death. Maybe even our own,” Kriseman said.

The Democrat said Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has encouraged people to use masks but not mandated them.

DeSantis said he has no intention of closing Florida’s economy again despite the statewide spike in new cases, which topped 1,000 Wednesday for the 15th consecutive day. He said many of those getting sick are young and unlikely to suffer serious illness or death.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

Fears about growing numbers of infections in younger people pushed officials in the San Antonio area to order masks in public as infections keep rising in Texas.

“What we are doing here is to protect the life and safety of the San Antonio community,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said, adding that most infections in the area are in people younger than 40.

Later Wednesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, said local governments could force businesses to require customers and workers to wear masks but that he wouldn’t issue a statewide order. The second-most-populated state set daily records for new COVID-19 cases, with 3,129, and hospitalizations. The 2,793 hospitalizations mark a daily high for the 10th time in 11 days.

In Montgomery, Alabama, where cases are spiking, the issue of masks erupted during a City Council meeting, where members rejected a proposal to mandate them at public gatherings of 25 or more.

Dr. Bill Saliski, a lung specialist at Jackson Hospital in Montgomery, called on the city to pass a mask requirement and declared: “If this continues the way we’re going, we’re going to be overrun.”

Some city leaders voiced concern about trampling on people’s rights.

“I think to make somebody do something or require somebody to wear something is an overreach,” councilman Brantley Lyons said.

Since the virus emerged in China late last year and spread worldwide, there have been more than 8.3 million confirmed cases and over 447,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. Experts say the true toll is much higher. The U.S. death toll has exceeded 117,000.

European nations, which embarked on a wide-scale reopening this week, watched Asia and the Americas with trepidation.

After lockdown restrictions were relaxed in Iran, Health Minister Saeed Namaki said he realized the extent of the challenge when he took a domestic flight.

“Many people have become careless, frustrated with wearing masks,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590784947764.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>PHOENIX (AP) — When the coronavirus flared in China’s capital this week, Beijing canceled flights, suspended reopenings and described the situation as “extremely grave.” But with cases rising in some U.S. states, local officials have balked at even requiring people to wear masks.In the United States, which has the most confirmed cases and deaths in the world, authorities wrestled Wednesday with balancing demands for constitutional rights and personal freedom with warnings from health officials that being lax will have deadly consequences.China responded to a new outbreak in Beijing by scrapping more than 60% of its flights to the capital, canceling classes and strengthening requirements for social distancing. It was a sharp retreat for the nation that declared victory over COVID-19 in March.China’s actions follow about 137 new cases, a fraction of the number some U.S. states see each day. In Arizona, more than 1,100 people visited emergency rooms on Tuesday alone with positive or suspected cases. Alabama also is running out of hospital space, stirring impassioned debate over a mask requirement. Other states that haven’t mandated face coverings, like Texas and Florida, are seeing infections soar.With masks becoming a political symbol, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has taken aim at President Donald Trump’s approach to the pandemic.“Donald Trump wants to style himself as a wartime president. Unlike any other wartime leader, he takes no responsibility, he exercises no leadership, now he has just flat surrendered the fight,” Biden said Wednesday.Biden has worn a mask repeatedly at public events, while Trump hasn’t, even on occasions such as touring auto factory floors when they are required. Aides say Trump believes they’re unflattering and that wearing one projects weakness.The mask debate is playing out nationwide, notably in hard-hit states where face coverings have become a political and cultural debate.Hundreds of medical professionals signed a letter urging Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey to require them. Facing mounting pressure to act as cases surge, the Republican said cities were free to mandate masks.Ducey, who removed his mask before speaking to reporters, said there were vastly different rates of infection across the state.“For some things, a statewide directive or executive order works very well,” he said. “If you have 12 or 13 counties that say ‘pound sand’ on an executive order ... it’s a self-defeating executive order.”Ducey has attributed Arizona’s soaring cases to increased testing. The state has been doing more tests, which can yield more cases, but health experts say a better way to see if more people are getting sick is to look at the percentage of positive tests. When that percentage rises, it means the outbreak is worsening — not just that more people are getting tested.Arizona has the nation’s highest seven-day average positive test rate: 17.7%, or about double the national average and well above the 10% threshold that health officials find worrisome. It also has the most new cases per capita in the U.S. in the past 14 days. The state’s leading hospital system says it’s almost running out of beds.Ducey said roughly 300 National Guardsmen would help with contact tracing. Several restaurants and other businesses have closed because staff tested positive in the last week.The same thing is happening in parts of Florida, where people under 35 are testing positive at a higher rate since the pandemic began, contributing to a surge in cases, officials said Wednesday.The coastal city of St. Petersburg had three popular bars close after employees tested positive, and it’s now requiring workers who have contact with the public to wear masks — which some hard-hit cities in southern Florida have been doing for weeks.Mayor Rick Kriseman said he also plans to require people to cover their faces in businesses and other public spaces.“We can wear a mask, protect others and ourselves, or we can contribute to someone’s death. Maybe even our own,” Kriseman said.The Democrat said Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has encouraged people to use masks but not mandated them.DeSantis said he has no intention of closing Florida’s economy again despite the statewide spike in new cases, which topped 1,000 Wednesday for the 15th consecutive day. He said many of those getting sick are young and unlikely to suffer serious illness or death.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.Fears about growing numbers of infections in younger people pushed officials in the San Antonio area to order masks in public as infections keep rising in Texas.“What we are doing here is to protect the life and safety of the San Antonio community,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said, adding that most infections in the area are in people younger than 40.Later Wednesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, said local governments could force businesses to require customers and workers to wear masks but that he wouldn’t issue a statewide order. The second-most-populated state set daily records for new COVID-19 cases, with 3,129, and hospitalizations. The 2,793 hospitalizations mark a daily high for the 10th time in 11 days.In Montgomery, Alabama, where cases are spiking, the issue of masks erupted during a City Council meeting, where members rejected a proposal to mandate them at public gatherings of 25 or more.Dr. Bill Saliski, a lung specialist at Jackson Hospital in Montgomery, called on the city to pass a mask requirement and declared: “If this continues the way we’re going, we’re going to be overrun.”Some city leaders voiced concern about trampling on people’s rights.“I think to make somebody do something or require somebody to wear something is an overreach,” councilman Brantley Lyons said.Since the virus emerged in China late last year and spread worldwide, there have been more than 8.3 million confirmed cases and over 447,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. Experts say the true toll is much higher. The U.S. death toll has exceeded 117,000.European nations, which embarked on a wide-scale reopening this week, watched Asia and the Americas with trepidation.After lockdown restrictions were relaxed in Iran, Health Minister Saeed Namaki said he realized the extent of the challenge when he took a domestic flight.“Many people have become careless, frustrated with wearing masks,” he said.

US virus outbreaks stir clash over masks, personal freedom

WICHITA –&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly on Thursday visited and toured Spirit AeroSystems’ new assembly line making ventilators for the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the public health crisis progressed, Spirit shifted their production to making ventilators to ensure hospitals would have the necessary lifesaving equipment to treat COVID-19 patients. The ventilators are portable and suitable for long-term care, ambulatory settings, and ICUs. They are providing the ventilators to local units, FEMA’s strategic stockpile, other states, and countries around the world.

“I applaud Spirit’s quick action to pivot their manufacturing capabilities to produce ventilators, the men and women I met today exemplify what it means to be a Kansan – innovative, courageous, and selfless,” said Governor Kelly. “This crisis has produced many challenges for our families, businesses, and communities. The staff at Spirit are working hard in anticipation of a possible second wave, and we appreciate them for helping not just Kansans, but people across the world.”

Vyaire Medical Inc and Spirit AeroSystems are collaborating to build ventilators at this facility in Wichita in response to COVID-19. Vyaire is the world’s largest healthcare company fully dedicated to respiratory care. This partnership will increase production of ventilators and other related respiratory equipment for COVID-19 patients who need it the most.

In addition to the national stockpile request, Vyaire is working with state and private hospital and health system clients to ensure delivery of ventilators to areas of greatest need. The manufacturing and supply collaboration will help to balance the needs of clinicians urgently treating patients at the bedside with the commitment to fill or replenish strategic stockpiles.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592516459782.png" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly at Spirit AeroSystems Thursday afternoon-photo courtesy office of Kansas governor" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly at Spirit AeroSystems Thursday afternoon-photo courtesy office of Kansas governor</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA –&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly on Thursday visited and toured Spirit AeroSystems’ new assembly line making ventilators for the COVID-19 pandemic.As the public health crisis progressed, Spirit shifted their production to making ventilators to ensure hospitals would have the necessary lifesaving equipment to treat COVID-19 patients. The ventilators are portable and suitable for long-term care, ambulatory settings, and ICUs. They are providing the ventilators to local units, FEMA’s strategic stockpile, other states, and countries around the world.“I applaud Spirit’s quick action to pivot their manufacturing capabilities to produce ventilators, the men and women I met today exemplify what it means to be a Kansan – innovative, courageous, and selfless,” said Governor Kelly. “This crisis has produced many challenges for our families, businesses, and communities. The staff at Spirit are working hard in anticipation of a possible second wave, and we appreciate them for helping not just Kansans, but people across the world.”Vyaire Medical Inc and Spirit AeroSystems are collaborating to build ventilators at this facility in Wichita in response to COVID-19. Vyaire is the world’s largest healthcare company fully dedicated to respiratory care. This partnership will increase production of ventilators and other related respiratory equipment for COVID-19 patients who need it the most.In addition to the national stockpile request, Vyaire is working with state and private hospital and health system clients to ensure delivery of ventilators to areas of greatest need. The manufacturing and supply collaboration will help to balance the needs of clinicians urgently treating patients at the bedside with the commitment to fill or replenish strategic stockpiles.

Gov. praises Spirit Aero Systems team for COVID-19 ventilator production

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 262 to a total of 11,681, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 262 to a total of 11,681, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 247<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592413557201.png" alt="Wednesday June 17, 2020 KDHE Image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday June 17, 2020 KDHE Image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

TOPEKA —Governor Laura Kelly&nbsp; discussed  current trends in the number of COVID-19 cases in Kansas counties during her press briefing on Monday.

Dr. Lee Norman, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment also joined the presentation and answered questions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592257031644.png" alt="The map used during Monday's press briefing -courtesy office of Kansas Governor" />
 <figcaption>The map used during Monday's press briefing -courtesy office of Kansas Governor</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA —Governor Laura Kelly&nbsp; discussed  current trends in the number of COVID-19 cases in Kansas counties during her press briefing on Monday.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F695916957913310%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Dr. Lee Norman, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment also joined the presentation and answered questions.

🎥  Governor on  COVID-19 trends in Kansas counties

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Jeremy Rooks works the evening shift at a fast-food restaurant these days to avoid being on the street past dusk. He needs somewhere to go at night: He and his wife are homeless after the extended-stay motel where they had lived since Thanksgiving evicted them in April when they couldn’t pay their rent.

They should have been protected because the Georgia Supreme Court has effectively halted evictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. But Rooks said the owner still sent a man posing as a sheriff’s deputy, armed with a gun, to throw the couple out a few days after rent was due.

The pandemic has shut housing courts and prompted most states and federal authorities to initiate policies protecting renters from eviction. But not everyone is covered and a number of landlords -- some desperate to pay their mortgages themselves -- are turning to threats and harassment to force tenants out.

“Every day, they tried to basically get us out of there. It was basically like a game to them,” said Rooks, who wasn’t able to make his rent at the Marietta, Georgia, motel after his employer paid him late and his wife was laid off in the pandemic. “One of us had to stay in a room at all times because they wouldn’t redo the keys for us.”

The evictions threaten to exacerbate a problem that has plagued people&nbsp; like Rooks long before the pandemic, when landlords across the U.S. were filing about 300,000 eviction requests every month.

In Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly says she is considering using part of Kansas’ share of federal coronavirus relief funds to help people struggling to pay their rent or mortgage because of economic problems tied to the pandemic. 

On May 26, Kelly canceled an executive order that had banned landlords from pursuing new evictions or lenders from starting to foreclose on home mortgages. She said she had to lift the order because keeping it in place would have stressed lenders and businesses that rent homes and apartments. But she said creating a new relief program would be a top priority.

Data and analytics real estate firm Amherst projects that 28 million renters, or about 22.5% of all households, are at risk of eviction. Tenant advocates expect that number to increase significantly unless protections are put in place, and project that many of those affected will be African Americans and households led by women, both of which historically are more likely to be evicted.

In a sign of what could happen nationally, Virginia has seen a crush of proceedings since eviction hearings resumed May 18. About 700 cases already have been heard statewide, according to Christie Marra, director of housing advocacy for the Virginia Poverty Law Center. On top of that, 2,200 cases are on the docket for the end of June and early July in Richmond, which has one of the country’s highest eviction rates.

Rachel Garland, an attorney at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia, said her group has experienced a spike in calls from tenants who lost their jobs due to the lockdown and fear being evicted. Philadelphia had the fourth-highest eviction rate in the country.

“Even if they can’t be evicted right now, if the courts are closed, the landlords are sending threatening emails, text messages, asking for rent, threatening to lock tenants out,” Garland said.

Alieza Durana of Princeton University’s Eviction Lab said affected tenants face high rates of depression and suicide from the stress, along with mounting debt and homelessness. Additionally, court judgments and debt collection actions against renters are reported to credit bureaus, affecting their ability to access housing for years.

Jose Ortiz, deputy director of Essex/Newark Legal Services, which includes New Jersey’s largest city, said he’s heard complaints from tenants who have been asked to exchange sex for rent and instances where landlords have threatened to alert immigration authorities about tenants living in the country without legal permission if they don’t pay their rent.

“They are not working. They don’t have the income to pay their bills and they are afraid about what will happen once the eviction ban is lifted,” Ortiz said. “Are they going to be displaced? Is there going to be a mad rush to the courthouse to get these tenants evicted?”

Tenants also are complaining about landlords locking them out and shutting off utilities.

Unable to pay her April rent in full on her townhouse in Millersville, Maryland, Dawn McBride said she began getting texts from her landlord suggesting she find work at Walmart or Costco. She said the landlord then tried to get her to sign a rent-deferral agreement, but wouldn’t let her fully read it. She ultimately was handed a 30-day notice to vacate because her lease was month-to-month, a strategy landlords increasingly are using.

“Honestly, it stresses me out a lot because it’s me and my children,” said McBride, who lost her pet-sitting job. “And, you know, I’m just like, `Where are we going to go?’”

Some tenants facing eviction have turned the table on landlords and are organizing rent strikes. From New York to Chicago to San Francisco, tenants are banding together and demanding landlords negotiate with an eye toward forgiving their rent entirely until the pandemic ends.

Many like Diana Hou, who lost her job with a political campaign and has helped organized a rent strike in her Brooklyn building with her half-dozen roommates. are pushing for legislation at the state and federal level to provide rent and mortgage relief.

“Many of us are worried about our prospects of securing housing without income and with a looming debt of unpaid rent. For the majority of the house, not being able to secure housing would mean homelessness in the middle of a pandemic,” Hou said.

Jay Martin, executive director of the Community Housing Improvement Program, which represents 4,000 building owners in New York, said he doesn't condone rent strikes but sympathizes with tenants' plight.

“Renters need a bailout,” Martin said, adding that landlords are supporting federal proposals that would cover back rent and future payments. Without those measures, he predicted a drop in property and real estate taxes that would sap state and city budgets.

The federal government’s $2.2 trillion coronavirus rescue package includes eviction moratoriums for most people living in federally subsidized apartments, as well as homes covered by federally backed mortgages. A second $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill passed in May by the U.S. House would provide about $175 billion to pay rents and mortgages, but has almost no chance of passing in the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate.

State and local lawmakers across the country also are stepping in with assistance and proposals aimed at averting a wave of evictions.

New Jersey lawmakers passed a $100 million rent relief bill, while in Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation directing $175 million of the federal coronavirus rescue package to rent and mortgage relief. Boston is providing $8 million for rental assistance, Baltimore has designated $13 million in federal coronavirus relief funding to start a rental assistance program, and Philadelphia provided $10 million to help about 13,000 people with their rent.

Other proposals would offer long-term payment plans for those unable to afford rent and programs like mediation before cases head to housing court.

“We have to do something,” said Philadelphia Council member Helen Gym, whose bill would prevent evictions until two months after the state’s emergency order was lifted.

“We can’t go back to business as usual in a city that evicts 18,000 people a year,” she said. “That is just not sustainable.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590531890706.png" alt="In Kansas, Governor Kelly canceled an executive order that had banned landlords from pursuing new evictions." />
 <figcaption>In Kansas, Governor Kelly canceled an executive order that had banned landlords from pursuing new evictions.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Jeremy Rooks works the evening shift at a fast-food restaurant these days to avoid being on the street past dusk. He needs somewhere to go at night: He and his wife are homeless after the extended-stay motel where they had lived since Thanksgiving evicted them in April when they couldn’t pay their rent.They should have been protected because the Georgia Supreme Court has effectively halted evictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. But Rooks said the owner still sent a man posing as a sheriff’s deputy, armed with a gun, to throw the couple out a few days after rent was due.The pandemic has shut housing courts and prompted most states and federal authorities to initiate policies protecting renters from eviction. But not everyone is covered and a number of landlords -- some desperate to pay their mortgages themselves -- are turning to threats and harassment to force tenants out.“Every day, they tried to basically get us out of there. It was basically like a game to them,” said Rooks, who wasn’t able to make his rent at the Marietta, Georgia, motel after his employer paid him late and his wife was laid off in the pandemic. “One of us had to stay in a room at all times because they wouldn’t redo the keys for us.”The evictions threaten to exacerbate a problem that has plagued people&nbsp; like Rooks long before the pandemic, when landlords across the U.S. were filing about 300,000 eviction requests every month.In Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly says she is considering using part of Kansas’ share of federal coronavirus relief funds to help people struggling to pay their rent or mortgage because of economic problems tied to the pandemic. On May 26, Kelly canceled an executive order that had banned landlords from pursuing new evictions or lenders from starting to foreclose on home mortgages. She said she had to lift the order because keeping it in place would have stressed lenders and businesses that rent homes and apartments. But she said creating a new relief program would be a top priority.Data and analytics real estate firm Amherst projects that 28 million renters, or about 22.5% of all households, are at risk of eviction. Tenant advocates expect that number to increase significantly unless protections are put in place, and project that many of those affected will be African Americans and households led by women, both of which historically are more likely to be evicted.In a sign of what could happen nationally, Virginia has seen a crush of proceedings since eviction hearings resumed May 18. About 700 cases already have been heard statewide, according to Christie Marra, director of housing advocacy for the Virginia Poverty Law Center. On top of that, 2,200 cases are on the docket for the end of June and early July in Richmond, which has one of the country’s highest eviction rates.Rachel Garland, an attorney at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia, said her group has experienced a spike in calls from tenants who lost their jobs due to the lockdown and fear being evicted. Philadelphia had the fourth-highest eviction rate in the country.“Even if they can’t be evicted right now, if the courts are closed, the landlords are sending threatening emails, text messages, asking for rent, threatening to lock tenants out,” Garland said.Alieza Durana of Princeton University’s Eviction Lab said affected tenants face high rates of depression and suicide from the stress, along with mounting debt and homelessness. Additionally, court judgments and debt collection actions against renters are reported to credit bureaus, affecting their ability to access housing for years.Jose Ortiz, deputy director of Essex/Newark Legal Services, which includes New Jersey’s largest city, said he’s heard complaints from tenants who have been asked to exchange sex for rent and instances where landlords have threatened to alert immigration authorities about tenants living in the country without legal permission if they don’t pay their rent.“They are not working. They don’t have the income to pay their bills and they are afraid about what will happen once the eviction ban is lifted,” Ortiz said. “Are they going to be displaced? Is there going to be a mad rush to the courthouse to get these tenants evicted?”Tenants also are complaining about landlords locking them out and shutting off utilities.Unable to pay her April rent in full on her townhouse in Millersville, Maryland, Dawn McBride said she began getting texts from her landlord suggesting she find work at Walmart or Costco. She said the landlord then tried to get her to sign a rent-deferral agreement, but wouldn’t let her fully read it. She ultimately was handed a 30-day notice to vacate because her lease was month-to-month, a strategy landlords increasingly are using.“Honestly, it stresses me out a lot because it’s me and my children,” said McBride, who lost her pet-sitting job. “And, you know, I’m just like, `Where are we going to go?’”Some tenants facing eviction have turned the table on landlords and are organizing rent strikes. From New York to Chicago to San Francisco, tenants are banding together and demanding landlords negotiate with an eye toward forgiving their rent entirely until the pandemic ends.Many like Diana Hou, who lost her job with a political campaign and has helped organized a rent strike in her Brooklyn building with her half-dozen roommates. are pushing for legislation at the state and federal level to provide rent and mortgage relief.“Many of us are worried about our prospects of securing housing without income and with a looming debt of unpaid rent. For the majority of the house, not being able to secure housing would mean homelessness in the middle of a pandemic,” Hou said.Jay Martin, executive director of the Community Housing Improvement Program, which represents 4,000 building owners in New York, said he doesn't condone rent strikes but sympathizes with tenants' plight.“Renters need a bailout,” Martin said, adding that landlords are supporting federal proposals that would cover back rent and future payments. Without those measures, he predicted a drop in property and real estate taxes that would sap state and city budgets.The federal government’s $2.2 trillion coronavirus rescue package includes eviction moratoriums for most people living in federally subsidized apartments, as well as homes covered by federally backed mortgages. A second $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill passed in May by the U.S. House would provide about $175 billion to pay rents and mortgages, but has almost no chance of passing in the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate.State and local lawmakers across the country also are stepping in with assistance and proposals aimed at averting a wave of evictions.New Jersey lawmakers passed a $100 million rent relief bill, while in Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation directing $175 million of the federal coronavirus rescue package to rent and mortgage relief. Boston is providing $8 million for rental assistance, Baltimore has designated $13 million in federal coronavirus relief funding to start a rental assistance program, and Philadelphia provided $10 million to help about 13,000 people with their rent.Other proposals would offer long-term payment plans for those unable to afford rent and programs like mediation before cases head to housing court.“We have to do something,” said Philadelphia Council member Helen Gym, whose bill would prevent evictions until two months after the state’s emergency order was lifted.“We can’t go back to business as usual in a city that evicts 18,000 people a year,” she said. “That is just not sustainable.”

Tenants behind on rent in pandemic face harassment, eviction

WASHINGTON (AP -RNS )— Each Sunday, Larry Little and his wife, Mary, get ready for church. They dress casually, fill two tumblers with water, climb into their golf cart and drive two miles to The Grove, a grassy field next to their church.

There they find a parking place, turn off the engine and settle in for a live service in front of a Jumbotron and a stage.

The Littles, who live in a retirement community called The Villages, about an hour’s drive northwest of Orlando, Florida, are among the lucky few.

Since mid-March, when state shutdowns forced churches, synagogues and mosques to close amid the coronavirus pandemic, Americans have had to mostly rely on online worship services.

But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.liveoakschurch.org/" target="_blank">Live Oaks Community Church</a>&nbsp;has been able to offer continuous outdoor services — one on Saturday and two on Sunday — with dozens, sometimes hundreds, arriving via their golf carts.

“The only negative is that you don’t have much interaction with the rest of the congregation,” said Larry Little, 77. “Our golf carts are 6 feet apart and they don’t want us outside the golf cart.”

For many, if not most, older congregants living in colder climates or with no access to outdoor services, such options are a luxury.

Unable to find spiritual sustenance or the comforts of community, many are isolated and lonely. They may struggle with using the technology required for viewing online services or connecting virtually with family, friends and community members.

“It’s becoming more of a challenge to figure out how we minister to, and with, these older adults,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://missybuchanan.com/about/" target="_blank">Missy Buchanan</a>, a writer and speaker from Rockwall, Texas, with a focus on older adults.

Some congregations are making phone calls and writing letters to older members. Others have bought them tablets and are teaching the least technologically savvy how to connect to online platforms.

Now, as states begin loosening lockdown restrictions and churches contemplate how to reopen safely, clergy and other religious leaders face difficult decisions when it comes to their senior members.

For older people, there’s a cruel reality to those reopenings.

Mounting evidence suggests houses of worship are probably among the riskiest places for older people. Transmission is much more likely indoors where lots of people come into close contact and where droplets with viral particles might linger in the air for as long as eight minutes. Multiple coronavirus cases across the country have been linked to people attending church and synagogue services or events.

Older Americans are also among the most likely to develop a severe case of COVID-19. Eight out of 10 coronavirus deaths reported in the U.S. have been among adults 65 years and older, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://missybuchanan.com/about/" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control.</a>

Many older people like the Littles may not see the insides of a church or synagogue for a very long time.

“When churches regather, older people may be the last to go back,” said&nbsp;<a href="http://amyhanson.org/" target="_blank">Amy Hanson</a>, an instructor in the gerontology department at the University of Nebraska at Omaha who has a consulting ministry to help churches engage older adults. “Some will want to return. But it will be hard for those who do go back. There’ll be no handshaking and hugging — things older adults are missing. They won’t feel all they’re hoping to feel.”

Older American were nearly twice as likely as younger Americans to attend church, synagogue and mosque before the shutdowns. A recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/" target="_blank">Pew Research</a>&nbsp;survey found that 61% of those born before 1945 (the so-called Silent Generation) attended religious services monthly or more, compared with 35% of millennials (born between 1981 and 1996).

In this in-between time, congregations should assess their older adult members, charting whether they live alone or have family nearby. Do they have hearing or vision impairments? Do they have access to chaplains at assisted living or nursing homes?

They would also do well to recognize that older Americans are not monolithic in their needs, said Buchanan, who writes devotionals for older adults. Buchanan has identified four basic groups of older adults: the “go-go’s,” those who are still very active and independent; the “slow-go’s,” those who may have some physical limitations; the “no-go’s,” those who are homebound; and the “not-gonna-make-me-go,” young Boomers who don’t attend religious services on a regular basis.

Many congregational ministries, Buchanan said, focus on only one or two of those groups.

Large churches, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.johnsonferry.org/default.aspx?page=4378" target="_blank">Johnson Ferry Baptist Church</a>&nbsp;in Marietta, Georgia, can do a lot more. In the days after the shutdown, the 7,000-member church prepared meals for many isolated church members and made daily phone calls to those living alone.

Now the emphasis has shifted to finding ways to engage older adults and allow them to contribute to the life of the church.

“They’re not here to take up space,” said Peggy Fulghum, minister to older adults at Johnson Ferry. “We want to keep them serving. I try to create ministries for them to be active and serve and give back to the community.”

For example, after noticing that in-person high school graduations were canceled, Fulghum asked older members to write congratulatory cards to high school seniors, encouraging them on their journey to adulthood and sharing a bit of their wisdom.

The cards were mailed to the church and the church staff is now sending them to families with high school seniors.

The church has also started a Tuesday morning Zoom call for older members where they can greet each other, sing a song and pray as a group. They hope it encourages groups of older adults to start their own Zoom gatherings. And the church is retooling its “GrandCamp” ministry to allow grandparents and children to interact through online projects.

Live Oaks Community Church in Florida has recently announced it will resume indoor worship for up to 100 people with social distancing.

The Littles, however, have decided to continue worshipping outdoors — at least for the time being.

“We think the golf cart experience is unique and we enjoy it,” Larry Little said. “It’s completely open and there’s always a little breeze. You don’t feel that sense of isolation. Isolation is worse than the virus for old folks.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584278183206.png" alt="google image" />
 <figcaption>google image</figcaption>
 </figure>By YONAT SHIMRONWASHINGTON (AP -RNS )— Each Sunday, Larry Little and his wife, Mary, get ready for church. They dress casually, fill two tumblers with water, climb into their golf cart and drive two miles to The Grove, a grassy field next to their church.There they find a parking place, turn off the engine and settle in for a live service in front of a Jumbotron and a stage.The Littles, who live in a retirement community called The Villages, about an hour’s drive northwest of Orlando, Florida, are among the lucky few.Since mid-March, when state shutdowns forced churches, synagogues and mosques to close amid the coronavirus pandemic, Americans have had to mostly rely on online worship services.But&nbsp;<a href="https://www.liveoakschurch.org/" target="_blank">Live Oaks Community Church</a>&nbsp;has been able to offer continuous outdoor services — one on Saturday and two on Sunday — with dozens, sometimes hundreds, arriving via their golf carts.“The only negative is that you don’t have much interaction with the rest of the congregation,” said Larry Little, 77. “Our golf carts are 6 feet apart and they don’t want us outside the golf cart.”For many, if not most, older congregants living in colder climates or with no access to outdoor services, such options are a luxury.Unable to find spiritual sustenance or the comforts of community, many are isolated and lonely. They may struggle with using the technology required for viewing online services or connecting virtually with family, friends and community members.“It’s becoming more of a challenge to figure out how we minister to, and with, these older adults,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://missybuchanan.com/about/" target="_blank">Missy Buchanan</a>, a writer and speaker from Rockwall, Texas, with a focus on older adults.Some congregations are making phone calls and writing letters to older members. Others have bought them tablets and are teaching the least technologically savvy how to connect to online platforms.Now, as states begin loosening lockdown restrictions and churches contemplate how to reopen safely, clergy and other religious leaders face difficult decisions when it comes to their senior members.For older people, there’s a cruel reality to those reopenings.Mounting evidence suggests houses of worship are probably among the riskiest places for older people. Transmission is much more likely indoors where lots of people come into close contact and where droplets with viral particles might linger in the air for as long as eight minutes. Multiple coronavirus cases across the country have been linked to people attending church and synagogue services or events.Older Americans are also among the most likely to develop a severe case of COVID-19. Eight out of 10 coronavirus deaths reported in the U.S. have been among adults 65 years and older, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://missybuchanan.com/about/" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control.</a>Many older people like the Littles may not see the insides of a church or synagogue for a very long time.“When churches regather, older people may be the last to go back,” said&nbsp;<a href="http://amyhanson.org/" target="_blank">Amy Hanson</a>, an instructor in the gerontology department at the University of Nebraska at Omaha who has a consulting ministry to help churches engage older adults. “Some will want to return. But it will be hard for those who do go back. There’ll be no handshaking and hugging — things older adults are missing. They won’t feel all they’re hoping to feel.”Older American were nearly twice as likely as younger Americans to attend church, synagogue and mosque before the shutdowns. A recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/" target="_blank">Pew Research</a>&nbsp;survey found that 61% of those born before 1945 (the so-called Silent Generation) attended religious services monthly or more, compared with 35% of millennials (born between 1981 and 1996).In this in-between time, congregations should assess their older adult members, charting whether they live alone or have family nearby. Do they have hearing or vision impairments? Do they have access to chaplains at assisted living or nursing homes?They would also do well to recognize that older Americans are not monolithic in their needs, said Buchanan, who writes devotionals for older adults. Buchanan has identified four basic groups of older adults: the “go-go’s,” those who are still very active and independent; the “slow-go’s,” those who may have some physical limitations; the “no-go’s,” those who are homebound; and the “not-gonna-make-me-go,” young Boomers who don’t attend religious services on a regular basis.Many congregational ministries, Buchanan said, focus on only one or two of those groups.Large churches, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.johnsonferry.org/default.aspx?page=4378" target="_blank">Johnson Ferry Baptist Church</a>&nbsp;in Marietta, Georgia, can do a lot more. In the days after the shutdown, the 7,000-member church prepared meals for many isolated church members and made daily phone calls to those living alone.Now the emphasis has shifted to finding ways to engage older adults and allow them to contribute to the life of the church.“They’re not here to take up space,” said Peggy Fulghum, minister to older adults at Johnson Ferry. “We want to keep them serving. I try to create ministries for them to be active and serve and give back to the community.”For example, after noticing that in-person high school graduations were canceled, Fulghum asked older members to write congratulatory cards to high school seniors, encouraging them on their journey to adulthood and sharing a bit of their wisdom.The cards were mailed to the church and the church staff is now sending them to families with high school seniors.The church has also started a Tuesday morning Zoom call for older members where they can greet each other, sing a song and pray as a group. They hope it encourages groups of older adults to start their own Zoom gatherings. And the church is retooling its “GrandCamp” ministry to allow grandparents and children to interact through online projects.Live Oaks Community Church in Florida has recently announced it will resume indoor worship for up to 100 people with social distancing.The Littles, however, have decided to continue worshipping outdoors — at least for the time being.“We think the golf cart experience is unique and we enjoy it,” Larry Little said. “It’s completely open and there’s always a little breeze. You don’t feel that sense of isolation. Isolation is worse than the virus for old folks.”

As they reopen, congregations grapple with including seniors

NEW YORK (AP) — Take the stairs, not the elevator, down from your hotel room. Encourage people to bring their own food and drinks to your cookout. Use hand sanitizer after banking at an ATM. Call ahead to restaurants and nail salons to make sure staff are wearing face coverings. And no high-fives — or even elbow bumps — at the gym.

These are some of the tips <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/activities.html">in long-awaited guidance</a> from U.S. health officials about how to reduce risk of coronavirus infection for Americans who are attempting some semblance of normal life.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted the guidelines Friday, along with a second set for organizing and attending big gatherings such as includes concerts, sporting events, protests and political rallies.

But the guidelines are “not intended to endorse any particular type of event,” the CDC’s Dr. Jay Butler said in a Friday call with reporters.

The staging and attendance of such events should be in accordance with what local health officials are advising, based on much the coronavirus is spreading in a particular community, he added.

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/activities.html">The guidelines </a>are long overdue, some health experts say.

Julia Marcus, an infectious disease researcher at Harvard Medical School, has likened stay-at-home suggestions to “abstinence-only” messaging and has pressed for advice to help people minimize risk. She said she was delighted by the CDC’s tips.

“I think it’s a huge step in the right direction,” Marcus said. “These guidelines are really directed toward ordinary Americans trying to make decisions about risk every day.”

But there are notable omissions. There’s nothing about precautions to take before going to church, no guidance about dating and sex and no explicit advice on a topic that some doctors say they get asked all the time: Is it OK to take the kids to visit grandparents?

“Visiting grandma is something I must address three times a week,“ said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious disease expert.

“My empathy goes out to the CDC. It’s very, very difficult to have a precise answer for every circumstance,” he added.

Stay-at-home orders, school shutdowns and business closings were followed by a national flattening in the rate of new cases. In recent weeks, many states have started reopening as they face pressure to get the pandemic-damaged economy going again. And cases are rising in nearly half the states, according to an Associated Press analysis.

The CDC has put out many sets of guidelines, including some for churches, camps, schools and transit agencies. But until now, the organization hasn’t offered specific advice to people trying to decide whether to take vacations, get their nails done, host barbecues, visit a bank or library, go out to eat or exercise at a gym.

The CDC’s director, Dr. Robert Redfield, called the new guidelines “common sense suggestions,” not mandates. State or local governments may want to reimpose stricter measures if new outbreaks occur, but that’s a call for them to make, CDC officials said.

The guidelines repeat earlier advice about wearing face coverings, especially if it’s difficult to keep at least 6 feet away from other people.

They also offers a list of questions people should consider before going out, and some things to think about in particular situations. For example, it suggests that house parties be held outside, guests be greeted with a wave instead of a hug and that everyone bring their own food and drinks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586545924801.png" alt="KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman demonstrates how to wear a face mask during a press briefing last month in Topeka." />
 <figcaption>KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman demonstrates how to wear a face mask during a press briefing last month in Topeka.</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Take the stairs, not the elevator, down from your hotel room. Encourage people to bring their own food and drinks to your cookout. Use hand sanitizer after banking at an ATM. Call ahead to restaurants and nail salons to make sure staff are wearing face coverings. And no high-fives — or even elbow bumps — at the gym.These are some of the tips <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/activities.html">in long-awaited guidance</a> from U.S. health officials about how to reduce risk of coronavirus infection for Americans who are attempting some semblance of normal life.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted the guidelines Friday, along with a second set for organizing and attending big gatherings such as includes concerts, sporting events, protests and political rallies.But the guidelines are “not intended to endorse any particular type of event,” the CDC’s Dr. Jay Butler said in a Friday call with reporters.The staging and attendance of such events should be in accordance with what local health officials are advising, based on much the coronavirus is spreading in a particular community, he added.<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/activities.html">The guidelines </a>are long overdue, some health experts say.Julia Marcus, an infectious disease researcher at Harvard Medical School, has likened stay-at-home suggestions to “abstinence-only” messaging and has pressed for advice to help people minimize risk. She said she was delighted by the CDC’s tips.“I think it’s a huge step in the right direction,” Marcus said. “These guidelines are really directed toward ordinary Americans trying to make decisions about risk every day.”But there are notable omissions. There’s nothing about precautions to take before going to church, no guidance about dating and sex and no explicit advice on a topic that some doctors say they get asked all the time: Is it OK to take the kids to visit grandparents?“Visiting grandma is something I must address three times a week,“ said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious disease expert.“My empathy goes out to the CDC. It’s very, very difficult to have a precise answer for every circumstance,” he added.Stay-at-home orders, school shutdowns and business closings were followed by a national flattening in the rate of new cases. In recent weeks, many states have started reopening as they face pressure to get the pandemic-damaged economy going again. And cases are rising in nearly half the states, according to an Associated Press analysis.The CDC has put out many sets of guidelines, including some for churches, camps, schools and transit agencies. But until now, the organization hasn’t offered specific advice to people trying to decide whether to take vacations, get their nails done, host barbecues, visit a bank or library, go out to eat or exercise at a gym.The CDC’s director, Dr. Robert Redfield, called the new guidelines “common sense suggestions,” not mandates. State or local governments may want to reimpose stricter measures if new outbreaks occur, but that’s a call for them to make, CDC officials said.The guidelines repeat earlier advice about wearing face coverings, especially if it’s difficult to keep at least 6 feet away from other people.They also offers a list of questions people should consider before going out, and some things to think about in particular situations. For example, it suggests that house parties be held outside, guests be greeted with a wave instead of a hug and that everyone bring their own food and drinks.

CDC posts long-awaited tips for minimizing everyday coronavirus risk

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Health officials in suburban Kansas City have linked a new coronavirus case to Memorial Day weekend parties at the Lake of the Ozarks. Epidemiologist Elizabeth Holzschuh told the Johnson County, Kansas, board of commissioners Thursday that the infected resident visited the same bar as a resident of Boone County in mid-Missouri who previously tested positive. 

Social media postings of the event showed large crowds of mostly young people without masks and not adhering to social distancing guidelines at pools along the central Missouri lake that is a popular weekend getaway spot. Health officials urged anyone who attended the parties to self-quarantine for 14 days.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591911691981.png" alt="Snap Chat image of the crowded pool party" />
 <figcaption>Snap Chat image of the crowded pool party</figcaption>
 </figure>OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Health officials in suburban Kansas City have linked a new coronavirus case to Memorial Day weekend parties at the Lake of the Ozarks. Epidemiologist Elizabeth Holzschuh told the Johnson County, Kansas, board of commissioners Thursday that the infected resident visited the same bar as a resident of Boone County in mid-Missouri who previously tested positive. Social media postings of the event showed large crowds of mostly young people without masks and not adhering to social distancing guidelines at pools along the central Missouri lake that is a popular weekend getaway spot. Health officials urged anyone who attended the parties to self-quarantine for 14 days.&nbsp;

2nd COVID-19 case tied to Memorial weekend lake parties

Governor Laura Kelly will discuss her administration’s&nbsp;statewide COVID-19 testing strategy.

The Governor will be joined&nbsp;Dr. Lee Norman, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Governor Laura Kelly will discuss her administration’s&nbsp;statewide COVID-19 testing strategy.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F181713886602771%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The Governor will be joined&nbsp;Dr. Lee Norman, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

🎥  Gov. Kelly on statewide COVID-19 testing strategy

NEW YORK (AP) — States are rolling back lockdowns, but the coronavirus isn’t done with the U.S.

Cases are rising in nearly half the states, according to an Associated Press analysis, a worrying trend that could worsen as people return to work and venture out during the summer.

In Arizona, hospitals have been told to prepare for the worst. Texas has more hospitalized COVID-19 patients than at any time before. And the governor of North Carolina said recent jumps caused him to rethink plans to reopen schools or businesses.

There is no single reason to explain all the surges. In some cases, more testing has revealed more cases. In others, local outbreaks are big enough to push statewide tallies higher. But experts think at least some are due to lifting stay-at-home orders, school and business closures, and other restrictions put in place during the spring to stem the virus’s spread.

“It is a disaster that spreads,” said Dr. Jay Butler, who oversees coronavirus response work at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It’s not like there’s an entire continental seismic shift and everyone feels the shaking all at once.”

The virus first landed on the U.S. coasts, carried by international travelers infected abroad. For months, the epicenter was in northeastern states. More recently, the biggest increases have been in the South and the West.

The AP analyzed data compiled by The COVID Tracking Project, a volunteer organization that collects coronavirus testing data in the United States. The analysis found that in 21 states as of Monday, the rolling seven-day average of new cases per capita was higher than the average seven days earlier.

Here’s what’s driving increases in some of the states with notable upticks:

&nbsp;Missouri health officials reported 179 in new confirmed coronavirus cases Tuesday as the state continues to see daily triple-digit increases.

The state's COVID-19 death toll increased to 848 on Wednesday, which was 29 more than on Monday.&nbsp;

Republican Gov. Doug Ducey ended Arizona’s stay-at-home order on May 15 and eased restrictions on businesses. Arizona residents who were cooped up for six weeks flooded Phoenix-area bar districts, ignoring social distancing guidelines.

The state began seeing a surge of new cases and hospitalizations about 10 days later.

“It seems pretty clear to me that what we’re seeing is directly related to the end of the stay-at-home order,” said Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association.

It wasn’t just that the order ended: There were no requirements to wear face masks, no major increases in contact tracing to spot and stop evolving outbreaks, and no scale-up of infection control at nursing homes, he said.

“Those are missed opportunities that, if implemented today, could still make a big difference,” said Humble, a former director of the state Department of Health Services.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591208066312.png" alt="Photo Sedgwick County Health Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sedgwick County Health Department</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — States are rolling back lockdowns, but the coronavirus isn’t done with the U.S.Cases are rising in nearly half the states, according to an Associated Press analysis, a worrying trend that could worsen as people return to work and venture out during the summer.In Arizona, hospitals have been told to prepare for the worst. Texas has more hospitalized COVID-19 patients than at any time before. And the governor of North Carolina said recent jumps caused him to rethink plans to reopen schools or businesses.There is no single reason to explain all the surges. In some cases, more testing has revealed more cases. In others, local outbreaks are big enough to push statewide tallies higher. But experts think at least some are due to lifting stay-at-home orders, school and business closures, and other restrictions put in place during the spring to stem the virus’s spread.The virus is also gradually fanning out.“It is a disaster that spreads,” said Dr. Jay Butler, who oversees coronavirus response work at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It’s not like there’s an entire continental seismic shift and everyone feels the shaking all at once.”The virus first landed on the U.S. coasts, carried by international travelers infected abroad. For months, the epicenter was in northeastern states. More recently, the biggest increases have been in the South and the West.The AP analyzed data compiled by The COVID Tracking Project, a volunteer organization that collects coronavirus testing data in the United States. The analysis found that in 21 states as of Monday, the rolling seven-day average of new cases per capita was higher than the average seven days earlier.Here’s what’s driving increases in some of the states with notable upticks:MISSOURI&nbsp;Missouri health officials reported 179 in new confirmed coronavirus cases Tuesday as the state continues to see daily triple-digit increases.The state's COVID-19 death toll increased to 848 on Wednesday, which was 29 more than on Monday.&nbsp;ARIZONARepublican Gov. Doug Ducey ended Arizona’s stay-at-home order on May 15 and eased restrictions on businesses. Arizona residents who were cooped up for six weeks flooded Phoenix-area bar districts, ignoring social distancing guidelines.The state began seeing a surge of new cases and hospitalizations about 10 days later.“It seems pretty clear to me that what we’re seeing is directly related to the end of the stay-at-home order,” said Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association.It wasn’t just that the order ended: There were no requirements to wear face masks, no major increases in contact tracing to spot and stop evolving outbreaks, and no scale-up of infection control at nursing homes, he said.“Those are missed opportunities that, if implemented today, could still make a big difference,” said Humble, a former director of the state Department of Health Services.Testing has been increasing in Arizona, which increases the chance of finding new cases. But the proportion of tests that come back positive has also been on the rise.The AP analysis found Arizona had a rolling average of fewer than 400 new cases a day at the time the shutdown was lifted, but it shot up two weeks later and surpassed 1,000 new cases a day by early this week. Hospitalizations have also risen dramatically, hitting the 1,200 mark last week.The state also passed another grim milestone last week, recording it’s 1,000th death.Meanwhile Arizona hospitals on Tuesday reported they were at 83% of capacity, up from 78% the previous day. That could force affected hospitals to cancel elective surgeries. Rules established under an executive order Ducey issued in April said hospitals wanting to resume elective surgeries had to have at least 20% of their beds available.NORTH CAROLINAIn North Carolina, more testing plus more people out and about during reopening seem to be the main drivers of recent case upticks, said Kimberly Powers, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina.On Saturday, the state recorded its highest single-day increase, with 1,370. While testing has grown in the last two weeks, so has the rate of tests coming back positive.“These trends moving in the wrong direction is a signal we need to take very seriously,” said North Carolina’s top health official, Mandy Cohen, who along with Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has urged the public to take precautions to protect themselves.But some state residents are not on board.“I think they should start opening stuff a little bit more,” said Jason Denton, an electrician from Greenville who said one of his main concerns was getting to the gym.“That’s like my therapy,” he said.TEXASFew states are rebooting faster than Texas, where hospitalizations surged past 2,100 on Wednesday for the first time during the pandemic. That’s a 42% increase in patients since Memorial Day weekend, when restless beachgoers swarmed Texas’ coastline and a water park near Houston opened to big crowds in defiance of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s orders.Texas’ percentage of tests coming back positive has also jumped to levels that are among the nation’s highest. State officials point to hot spots at meatpacking plants and prisons in rural counties, where thousands of new cases have cropped up, but have not offered explanations for a rise in numbers elsewhere.Abbott, who has recently begun wearing a mask in public, has shown no intention of pumping the brake on reopening a state where conservative protesters in May pressured him to speed up the timeline on getting hair salons back in business.On Friday, Texas is set to lift even more restrictions and let restaurant dining rooms reopen at nearly full capacity.ALABAMAIn Alabama, outbreaks in nursing homes and poultry plants helped drive state numbers upward, though there was a drop more recently. But that may change — there is evidence of community transmission in the capital, Montgomery, which has become an emerging hot spot, said State Health Officer Scott Harris.“I think reopening the economy gave a lot of people the wrong impression … that, ‘Hey everything is fine. Let’s go back to normal,’” Harris said. “Clearly, it is not that way. Really, now more than ever we need people to stay 6 feet apart, wear face coverings and wash their hands.”Montgomery hospital intensive care units are as busy as during flu season.“I can assure you that Montgomery’s cases are not going down, and if our community does not take this seriously, the virus will continue to spread, and at some point, our medical capacity will reach its limit,” Dr. David Thrasher, director of respiratory therapy at Jackson Hospital, said in a statement.ARKANSASArkansas has also seen increases — in cases, hospitalizations and the percentage of tests that come back positive. But the state’s situation is a complicated story of different outbreaks at different times, said Dr. Nate Smith, director of the Arkansas Department of Health.After a peak in April, levels were low until spikes began about three weeks ago — mainly in the cities of Rogers and Springdale in the northwest and in De Queen further south. The cases have been concentrated among Hispanics and those who work in chicken production facilities.The chicken plants never were closed, Smith said. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday said the state will move into a new phase of reopening, starting Monday.LOOKING AHEADExperts are wondering what will happen in the next week or so, in the wake of nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police.The protests were outdoors, which reduces the likelihood of virus spread, and many participants have worn masks and taken other precautions. But it’s a lot of people close together, chanting, singing and yelling.“Hopefully we won’t see a big spike. But those data aren’t in yet,” Humble said.

Coronavirus Update