By HANNAH RECHT <a href="https://dailymontanan.com/2022/12/12/paxlovid-has-been-free-now-comes-the-sticker-shock/">Kaiser Health News, courtesy Daily Montanan</a>

Nearly 6 million Americans have taken Paxlovid for free, courtesy of 
the federal government. The Pfizer pill has helped prevent many people 
infected with COVID-19 from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7148e2.htm">being hospitalized</a> or dying, and it may even <a target="_blank" href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.03.22281783v1">reduce the risk</a>
 of developing long COVID. But the government plans to stop footing the 
bill within months, and millions of people who are at the highest risk 
of severe illness and are least able to afford the drug — the uninsured 
and seniors — may have to pay the full price.

And that means fewer people will get the potentially lifesaving treatments, experts said.

“I think the numbers will go way down,” said Jill Rosenthal, director
 of public health policy at the Center for American Progress, a 
left-leaning think tank. A bill for several hundred dollars or more 
would lead many people to decide the medication isn’t worth the price, 
she said.

In response to the unprecedented public health crisis caused by 
COVID, the federal government spent billions of dollars on developing 
new vaccines and treatments, to swift success: Less than a year after 
the pandemic was declared, medical workers got their first vaccines. But
 as many people have refused the shots and stopped wearing masks, the 
virus still rages and mutates. In 2022 alone, 250,000 Americans <a target="_blank" href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_totaldeaths_select_00">have died</a> from COVID, <a target="_blank" href="https://data.cdc.gov/NCHS/Monthly-Provisional-Counts-of-Deaths-by-Select-Cau/9dzk-mvmi/data">more than</a> from strokes or diabetes.

But soon the Department of Health and Human Services will stop 
supplying COVID treatments, and pharmacies will purchase and bill for 
them the same way they do for antibiotic pills or asthma inhalers. 
Paxlovid is expected to hit the private market in mid-2023, according to
 HHS plans shared in an October meeting with state health officials and 
clinicians. Merck’s Lagevrio, a less-effective COVID treatment pill, and
 AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, a preventive therapy for the immunocompromised,
 are on track to be commercialized sooner, sometime in the winter.

The U.S. government has so far purchased <a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/26/fact-sheet-biden-administration-increases-access-to-covid-19-treatments-and-boosts-patient-and-provider-awareness/">20 million courses</a>
 of Paxlovid, priced at about $530 each, a discount for buying in bulk 
that Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called “really very attractive” to the 
federal government in a July earnings call. The drug will cost far more 
on the private market, although in a statement to KHN, Pfizer declined 
to share the planned price. The government will also stop paying for the
 company’s COVID vaccine next year — those shots will <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/pfizer-covid-cash-marketing-drugs/">quadruple in price</a>, from the discount rate the government pays of $30 to about $120.

Bourla told investors in November that he expects the move will make 
Paxlovid and its COVID vaccine “a multibillion-dollars franchise.”

Nearly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/11/28/covid-who-is-dying/">9 in 10 people</a> dying from the virus now are 65 or older. Yet federal law restricts Medicare Part D — the prescription drug program that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/medicare-beneficiaries-enrolled-in-part-d-coverage/?currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D">covers nearly 50 million seniors</a>
 — from covering the COVID treatment pills. The medications are meant 
for those most at risk of serious illness, including seniors.

Paxlovid and the other treatments are currently available under an 
emergency use authorization from the FDA, a fast-track review used in 
extraordinary situations. Although Pfizer <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-announces-submission-new-drug-application-us-fda">applied for full approval</a>
 in June, the process can take anywhere from several months to years. 
And Medicare Part D can’t cover any medications without that full stamp 
of approval.

Paying out-of-pocket would be “a substantial barrier” for seniors on 
Medicare — the very people who would benefit most from the drug, wrote <a target="_blank" href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1072f5093254224ac902ca395387085c/coverage-considerations-covid-19.pdf">federal health experts</a>.

“From a public health perspective, and even from a health care 
capacity and cost perspective, it would just defy reason to not continue
 to make these drugs readily available,” said Dr. Larry Madoff, medical 
director of Massachusetts’ Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory 
Sciences. He’s hopeful that the federal health agency will find a way to
 set aside unused doses for seniors and people without insurance.

In mid-November, the White House requested that Congress approve an 
additional $2.5 billion for COVID therapeutics and vaccines to make sure
 people can afford the medications when they’re no longer free. But 
there’s little hope it will be approved — the Senate <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-votes-to-end-covid-19-emergency-declaration-11668559887">voted that same day to end</a> the public health emergency and denied similar requests in recent months.

Many Americans have already faced hurdles just <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/test-to-treat-biden-covid-failing-patients-pharmacies-cvs/">getting a prescription</a> for COVID treatment. Although the federal government <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/paxlovid-covid-pill-antiviral-access-data/">doesn’t track</a> who’s gotten the drug, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7143a2.htm">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study</a>
 using data from 30 medical centers found that Black and Hispanic 
patients with COVID were much less likely to receive Paxlovid than white
 patients. (Hispanic people can be of any race or combination of races.)
 And when the government is no longer picking up the tab, experts 
predict that these gaps by race, income, and geography will widen.

People in Northeastern states used the drug far more often than those
 in the rest of the country, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis 
of Paxlovid use in September and October. But it wasn’t because people 
in the region were getting sick from COVID at much higher rates — 
instead, many of those states offered better <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus/report.htm">access to health care</a> to begin with and created special programs to get Paxlovid to their residents.

About 10 mostly Democratic states and several large counties in the 
Northeast and elsewhere created free “test-to-treat” programs that allow
 their residents to get an immediate doctor visit and prescription for 
treatment after testing positive for COVID. In Massachusetts, more than 
20,000 residents have used the state’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/free-telehealth-for-covid-19-treatment-with-paxlovid">video and phone hotline</a>,
 which is available seven days a week in 13 languages. Massachusetts, 
which has the highest insurance rate in the country and relatively low 
travel times to pharmacies, had the second-highest Paxlovid usage rate 
among states this fall.

States with higher COVID death rates, like Florida and Kentucky, 
where residents must travel farther for health care and are more likely 
to be uninsured, used the drug less often. Without no-cost test-to-treat
 options, <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/test-to-treat-biden-covid-failing-patients-pharmacies-cvs/">residents have struggled</a> to get prescriptions even though the drug itself is still free.

“If you look at access to medications for people who are uninsured, I
 think that there’s no question that will widen those disparities,” 
Rosenthal said.

People who get insurance through their jobs could face high copays at
 the register, too, just as they do for insulin and other expensive or 
brand-name drugs.

Most private insurance companies will end up covering COVID 
therapeutics to some extent, said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor
 at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms. After 
all, the pills are cheaper than a hospital stay. But for most people who
 get insurance through their jobs, there are “really no rules at all,” 
she said. Some insurers could take months to add the drugs to their 
plans or decide not to pay for them.

And the additional cost means many people will go without the medication.

“We know from lots of research that when people face cost sharing for
 these drugs that they need to take, they will often forgo or cut back,”
 Corlette said.

One group doesn’t need to worry about sticker shock. Medicaid, the 
public insurance program for low-income adults and children, will cover 
the treatments in full until at least early 2024.

HHS officials could set aside any leftover taxpayer-funded medication
 for people who can’t afford to pay the full cost, but they haven’t 
shared any concrete plans to do so. The government purchased 20 million 
courses of Paxlovid and 3 million of Lagevrio. Fewer than a third have 
been used, and usage has fallen in recent months, according to KHN’s 
analysis of the data from HHS.

Sixty percent of the government’s supply of Evusheld is also still available, although the COVID prevention therapy is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-releases-important-information-about-risk-covid-19-due-certain-variants-not-neutralized-evusheld">less effective</a> against new strains of the virus. The health department in one state, <a target="_blank" href="https://files.constantcontact.com/8088728e101/558b11b0-e00f-47d7-8ec1-645904ec1905.pdf">New Mexico</a>, has recommended against using it.

HHS did not make officials available for an interview or answer written questions about the commercialization plans.

The government created a potential workaround when they moved 
bebtelovimab, another COVID treatment, to the private market this 
summer. It now retails for $2,100 per patient. The agency set aside the 
remaining 60,000 government-purchased doses that hospitals could use to 
treat uninsured patients in a convoluted <a target="_blank" href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/COVID-19/Therapeutics/Products/Bebtelovimab/Pages/default.aspx">dose-replacement process</a>. But it’s hard to tell how well that setup would work for Paxlovid: Bebtelovimab was already much less popular, and the FDA <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-announces-bebtelovimab-not-currently-authorized-any-us-region">halted its use</a> on Nov. 30 because it’s less effective against current strains of the virus.

Federal officials and insurance companies would have good reason to 
make sure patients can continue to afford covid drugs: They’re far 
cheaper than if patients land in the emergency room.

“The medications are so worthwhile,” said Madoff, the Massachusetts 
health official. “They’re not expensive in the grand scheme of health 
care costs.”

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.khn.org/about-us">KHN</a> 
(Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth 
journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and 
Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/about-us">KFF</a> (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670875530434.png" alt="CDC image" />
 <figcaption>CDC image</figcaption>
 </figure>By HANNAH RECHT <a href="https://dailymontanan.com/2022/12/12/paxlovid-has-been-free-now-comes-the-sticker-shock/">Kaiser Health News, courtesy Daily Montanan</a>Nearly 6 million Americans have taken Paxlovid for free, courtesy of 
the federal government. The Pfizer pill has helped prevent many people 
infected with COVID-19 from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7148e2.htm">being hospitalized</a> or dying, and it may even <a target="_blank" href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.03.22281783v1">reduce the risk</a>
 of developing long COVID. But the government plans to stop footing the 
bill within months, and millions of people who are at the highest risk 
of severe illness and are least able to afford the drug — the uninsured 
and seniors — may have to pay the full price.And that means fewer people will get the potentially lifesaving treatments, experts said.“I think the numbers will go way down,” said Jill Rosenthal, director
 of public health policy at the Center for American Progress, a 
left-leaning think tank. A bill for several hundred dollars or more 
would lead many people to decide the medication isn’t worth the price, 
she said.In response to the unprecedented public health crisis caused by 
COVID, the federal government spent billions of dollars on developing 
new vaccines and treatments, to swift success: Less than a year after 
the pandemic was declared, medical workers got their first vaccines. But
 as many people have refused the shots and stopped wearing masks, the 
virus still rages and mutates. In 2022 alone, 250,000 Americans <a target="_blank" href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_totaldeaths_select_00">have died</a> from COVID, <a target="_blank" href="https://data.cdc.gov/NCHS/Monthly-Provisional-Counts-of-Deaths-by-Select-Cau/9dzk-mvmi/data">more than</a> from strokes or diabetes.But soon the Department of Health and Human Services will stop 
supplying COVID treatments, and pharmacies will purchase and bill for 
them the same way they do for antibiotic pills or asthma inhalers. 
Paxlovid is expected to hit the private market in mid-2023, according to
 HHS plans shared in an October meeting with state health officials and 
clinicians. Merck’s Lagevrio, a less-effective COVID treatment pill, and
 AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, a preventive therapy for the immunocompromised,
 are on track to be commercialized sooner, sometime in the winter.The U.S. government has so far purchased <a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/26/fact-sheet-biden-administration-increases-access-to-covid-19-treatments-and-boosts-patient-and-provider-awareness/">20 million courses</a>
 of Paxlovid, priced at about $530 each, a discount for buying in bulk 
that Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called “really very attractive” to the 
federal government in a July earnings call. The drug will cost far more 
on the private market, although in a statement to KHN, Pfizer declined 
to share the planned price. The government will also stop paying for the
 company’s COVID vaccine next year — those shots will <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/pfizer-covid-cash-marketing-drugs/">quadruple in price</a>, from the discount rate the government pays of $30 to about $120.Bourla told investors in November that he expects the move will make 
Paxlovid and its COVID vaccine “a multibillion-dollars franchise.”Nearly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/11/28/covid-who-is-dying/">9 in 10 people</a> dying from the virus now are 65 or older. Yet federal law restricts Medicare Part D — the prescription drug program that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/medicare-beneficiaries-enrolled-in-part-d-coverage/?currentTimeframe=0&amp;sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D">covers nearly 50 million seniors</a>
 — from covering the COVID treatment pills. The medications are meant 
for those most at risk of serious illness, including seniors.Paxlovid and the other treatments are currently available under an 
emergency use authorization from the FDA, a fast-track review used in 
extraordinary situations. Although Pfizer <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-announces-submission-new-drug-application-us-fda">applied for full approval</a>
 in June, the process can take anywhere from several months to years. 
And Medicare Part D can’t cover any medications without that full stamp 
of approval.Paying out-of-pocket would be “a substantial barrier” for seniors on 
Medicare — the very people who would benefit most from the drug, wrote <a target="_blank" href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1072f5093254224ac902ca395387085c/coverage-considerations-covid-19.pdf">federal health experts</a>.“From a public health perspective, and even from a health care 
capacity and cost perspective, it would just defy reason to not continue
 to make these drugs readily available,” said Dr. Larry Madoff, medical 
director of Massachusetts’ Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory 
Sciences. He’s hopeful that the federal health agency will find a way to
 set aside unused doses for seniors and people without insurance.In mid-November, the White House requested that Congress approve an 
additional $2.5 billion for COVID therapeutics and vaccines to make sure
 people can afford the medications when they’re no longer free. But 
there’s little hope it will be approved — the Senate <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-votes-to-end-covid-19-emergency-declaration-11668559887">voted that same day to end</a> the public health emergency and denied similar requests in recent months.Many Americans have already faced hurdles just <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/test-to-treat-biden-covid-failing-patients-pharmacies-cvs/">getting a prescription</a> for COVID treatment. Although the federal government <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/paxlovid-covid-pill-antiviral-access-data/">doesn’t track</a> who’s gotten the drug, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7143a2.htm">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study</a>
 using data from 30 medical centers found that Black and Hispanic 
patients with COVID were much less likely to receive Paxlovid than white
 patients. (Hispanic people can be of any race or combination of races.)
 And when the government is no longer picking up the tab, experts 
predict that these gaps by race, income, and geography will widen.People in Northeastern states used the drug far more often than those
 in the rest of the country, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis 
of Paxlovid use in September and October. But it wasn’t because people 
in the region were getting sick from COVID at much higher rates — 
instead, many of those states offered better <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus/report.htm">access to health care</a> to begin with and created special programs to get Paxlovid to their residents.About 10 mostly Democratic states and several large counties in the 
Northeast and elsewhere created free “test-to-treat” programs that allow
 their residents to get an immediate doctor visit and prescription for 
treatment after testing positive for COVID. In Massachusetts, more than 
20,000 residents have used the state’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mass.gov/info-details/free-telehealth-for-covid-19-treatment-with-paxlovid">video and phone hotline</a>,
 which is available seven days a week in 13 languages. Massachusetts, 
which has the highest insurance rate in the country and relatively low 
travel times to pharmacies, had the second-highest Paxlovid usage rate 
among states this fall.States with higher COVID death rates, like Florida and Kentucky, 
where residents must travel farther for health care and are more likely 
to be uninsured, used the drug less often. Without no-cost test-to-treat
 options, <a target="_blank" href="https://khn.org/news/article/test-to-treat-biden-covid-failing-patients-pharmacies-cvs/">residents have struggled</a> to get prescriptions even though the drug itself is still free.“If you look at access to medications for people who are uninsured, I
 think that there’s no question that will widen those disparities,” 
Rosenthal said.People who get insurance through their jobs could face high copays at
 the register, too, just as they do for insulin and other expensive or 
brand-name drugs.Most private insurance companies will end up covering COVID 
therapeutics to some extent, said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor
 at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms. After 
all, the pills are cheaper than a hospital stay. But for most people who
 get insurance through their jobs, there are “really no rules at all,” 
she said. Some insurers could take months to add the drugs to their 
plans or decide not to pay for them.And the additional cost means many people will go without the medication.“We know from lots of research that when people face cost sharing for
 these drugs that they need to take, they will often forgo or cut back,”
 Corlette said.One group doesn’t need to worry about sticker shock. Medicaid, the 
public insurance program for low-income adults and children, will cover 
the treatments in full until at least early 2024.HHS officials could set aside any leftover taxpayer-funded medication
 for people who can’t afford to pay the full cost, but they haven’t 
shared any concrete plans to do so. The government purchased 20 million 
courses of Paxlovid and 3 million of Lagevrio. Fewer than a third have 
been used, and usage has fallen in recent months, according to KHN’s 
analysis of the data from HHS.Sixty percent of the government’s supply of Evusheld is also still available, although the COVID prevention therapy is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-releases-important-information-about-risk-covid-19-due-certain-variants-not-neutralized-evusheld">less effective</a> against new strains of the virus. The health department in one state, <a target="_blank" href="https://files.constantcontact.com/8088728e101/558b11b0-e00f-47d7-8ec1-645904ec1905.pdf">New Mexico</a>, has recommended against using it.HHS did not make officials available for an interview or answer written questions about the commercialization plans.The government created a potential workaround when they moved 
bebtelovimab, another COVID treatment, to the private market this 
summer. It now retails for $2,100 per patient. The agency set aside the 
remaining 60,000 government-purchased doses that hospitals could use to 
treat uninsured patients in a convoluted <a target="_blank" href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/COVID-19/Therapeutics/Products/Bebtelovimab/Pages/default.aspx">dose-replacement process</a>. But it’s hard to tell how well that setup would work for Paxlovid: Bebtelovimab was already much less popular, and the FDA <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-announces-bebtelovimab-not-currently-authorized-any-us-region">halted its use</a> on Nov. 30 because it’s less effective against current strains of the virus.Federal officials and insurance companies would have good reason to 
make sure patients can continue to afford covid drugs: They’re far 
cheaper than if patients land in the emergency room.“The medications are so worthwhile,” said Madoff, the Massachusetts 
health official. “They’re not expensive in the grand scheme of health 
care costs.”<a target="_blank" href="https://www.khn.org/about-us">KHN</a> 
(Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth 
journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and 
Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kff.org/about-us">KFF</a> (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

COVID treatment Paxlovid has been free; now comes the sticker shock

There were 248 reported cases of COVID-19 throughout the month of September, down significantly from the 652 cases reported in the previous month. 

Hospitalizations remained low for most of the month, Salina Regional Health Center reports that there are currently two people being treated for COVID-19 (down from five reported in-patients at the same time last month).

While the rate of community spread of COVID-19 remains high, the vast majority of cases are being well-managed at home.&nbsp;

<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view?list_select_state=Kansas&amp;data-type=CommunityLevels&amp;list_select_county=20169">Find out more about the COVID-19 situation in&nbsp;Saline County</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665238078512.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Saline County Health DepartmentThere were 248 reported cases of COVID-19 throughout the month of September, down significantly from the 652 cases reported in the previous month. Hospitalizations remained low for most of the month, Salina Regional Health Center reports that there are currently two people being treated for COVID-19 (down from five reported in-patients at the same time last month).While the rate of community spread of COVID-19 remains high, the vast majority of cases are being well-managed at home.&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view?list_select_state=Kansas&amp;data-type=CommunityLevels&amp;list_select_county=20169">Find out more about the COVID-19 situation in&nbsp;Saline County</a>

Saline County: COVID-19 cases down in September

There were 652 reported cases of COVID-19 throughout the month of August, up from the 584 cases reported in the previous month, and the 613 cases reported in August 2021. 

Hospitalizations remained low for most of the month. Salina Regional Health Center reports that there are currently five people being treated for COVID-19 (down from 14 reported in-patients at the same time last month). 

June, July, and August each saw three deaths due to COVID-19.

<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view?list_select_state=Kansas&amp;data-type=CommunityLevels&amp;list_select_county=20169&amp;null=CommunityLevels">COVID-19 Data Tracker</a>

Contact your doctor immediately if your COVID-19 symptoms become unmanageable at home or if they continue to worsen after five days.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662167089617.png" alt="Image courtesy Saline County Health Department" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy Saline County Health Department</figcaption>
 </figure>Saline County Health DepartmentThere were 652 reported cases of COVID-19 throughout the month of August, up from the 584 cases reported in the previous month, and the 613 cases reported in August 2021. Hospitalizations remained low for most of the month. Salina Regional Health Center reports that there are currently five people being treated for COVID-19 (down from 14 reported in-patients at the same time last month). June, July, and August each saw three deaths due to COVID-19.While the rate of community spread of COVID-19 remains high, the vast majority of cases are being well-managed at home.&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view?list_select_state=Kansas&amp;data-type=CommunityLevels&amp;list_select_county=20169&amp;null=CommunityLevels">COVID-19 Data Tracker</a>Contact your doctor immediately if your COVID-19 symptoms become unmanageable at home or if they continue to worsen after five days.

August COVID-19 statistics for Saline County

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) on Thursday announced their continued efforts to shift to the next chapter of the COVID-19 response, pivoting from emergency pandemic response to endemic normalcy. 

On April 1, KDHE will make changes to continue the transition from emergency response to our ‘new normal,’ which includes life with COVID-19—similar to how we deal with other recurring diseases like the flu. Using the lessons learned over the past two years, KDHE will continue to ensure the State is prepared for potential surges or other needs that might arise in the future.

"Kansas is continuing the transition to a new phase of understanding and living with COVID-19,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“We know the pandemic is not over, however we now have the tools and knowledge obtained over the past two years to prevent or reduce the spread of the virus. We are normalizing our COVID-19 response and incorporating these lessons into our larger efforts at improving health outcomes for all Kansans, which includes work on multiple diseases and an awareness of differing risk factors.”

This decision comes as current COVID-19 metrics are moving in the right direction. Over the last two years, KDHE has made significant progress in keeping Kansas communities safe with the help of partners throughout the State: over 7 million tests have been given, over 4 million vaccines have been administered, and over 78% of eligible Kansans have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine.

“In our new normal, we will continue to ensure that Kansans have equitable access to life-saving vaccines, tests, and treatments. This shift does not mean that COVID is over, but rather we are working to manage the disease in a way that allows us to maintain a more normal life that is once again filled with friends, families and other loved ones,”&nbsp;said KDHE Secretary Janet Stanek.

Working with Local Health Departments (LHDs) and stakeholders, KDHE’s endemic plan addresses six key areas that are designed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all Kansans:

Across each of the above areas, KDHE will remain prepared to ramp up capacity to quickly respond to a surge and keep Kansans safe should the need arise.

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) on Thursday announced their continued efforts to shift to the next chapter of the COVID-19 response, pivoting from emergency pandemic response to endemic normalcy. On April 1, KDHE will make changes to continue the transition from emergency response to our ‘new normal,’ which includes life with COVID-19—similar to how we deal with other recurring diseases like the flu. Using the lessons learned over the past two years, KDHE will continue to ensure the State is prepared for potential surges or other needs that might arise in the future."Kansas is continuing the transition to a new phase of understanding and living with COVID-19,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“We know the pandemic is not over, however we now have the tools and knowledge obtained over the past two years to prevent or reduce the spread of the virus. We are normalizing our COVID-19 response and incorporating these lessons into our larger efforts at improving health outcomes for all Kansans, which includes work on multiple diseases and an awareness of differing risk factors.”This decision comes as current COVID-19 metrics are moving in the right direction. Over the last two years, KDHE has made significant progress in keeping Kansas communities safe with the help of partners throughout the State: over 7 million tests have been given, over 4 million vaccines have been administered, and over 78% of eligible Kansans have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine.“In our new normal, we will continue to ensure that Kansans have equitable access to life-saving vaccines, tests, and treatments. This shift does not mean that COVID is over, but rather we are working to manage the disease in a way that allows us to maintain a more normal life that is once again filled with friends, families and other loved ones,”&nbsp;said KDHE Secretary Janet Stanek.Working with Local Health Departments (LHDs) and stakeholders, KDHE’s endemic plan addresses six key areas that are designed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all Kansans:<ul>
 <li>Intervention:&nbsp;KDHE will continue to provide comprehensive guidance, while continuing to offer additional assistance to underserved and/or vulnerable populations.</li><li>Vaccination:&nbsp;KDHE will focus on making sure vulnerable populations have access to the COVID-19 vaccine while existing vaccine providers, including health care providers, pharmacists, hospitals, and LHDs, will continue to serve the broader population.</li><li>Treatment:&nbsp;KDHE will continue to ensure Kansans will be able to receive COVID-19 treatment across the State, as treatment distribution shifts away from public health entities and back to local health care providers.</li><li>Testing:&nbsp;KDHE will continue to support access to free testing across the state through community testing sites, LHDs, and K-12 schools as long as federal funding is available. In addition, the federal government provides direct testing support to Federally Qualified Health Centers and pharmacies around the state. To find a free testing location near you, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjAzMzEuNTU3NDY5ODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy5rZGhla3MuZ292LzI4MC9DT1ZJRC0xOS1UZXN0aW5nIn0.GfHL9b4jMqHPXXa-raViSl3-9DLuVjAXv4mI1BPx2bo/s/1303160919/br/128948992477-l" target="_blank">knowbeforeyougoKS.com</a>. KDHE testing support for Long Term Care Facilities will be phased out&nbsp;on May 15, 2022,&nbsp;and testing support for employers&nbsp;ends on June 30, 2022.&nbsp;</li><li>Monitoring:&nbsp;KDHE will continue to monitor data as reported by organizations and facilities across the state to understand the status of COVID-19 and proactively identify at-risk groups. Public reporting will be reduced to once a week.</li><li>Communications:&nbsp;KDHE will continue to provide essential and accessible COVID information to keep Kansans safe and aware of any subsequent changes to COVID-19 response efforts.</li>
 </ul>Across each of the above areas, KDHE will remain prepared to ramp up capacity to quickly respond to a surge and keep Kansans safe should the need arise.

Gov.: Pandemic not over; Kan. moves to endemic phase of COVID response

With coronavirus cases rising in parts of Europe and Asia, scientists worry that an extra-contagious version of the omicron variant may soon push cases up in the United States too.

Experts are also keeping their eyes on another mutant: a rare delta-omicron hybrid that they say doesn’t pose much of a threat right now but shows how wily the coronavirus can be.

The U.S. will likely see an uptick in cases caused by the omicron descendant BA.2 starting in the next few weeks, according to Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute.

“It’s inevitable we will see a BA.2 wave here,” he said.

One reason? After about two months of falling COVID-19 cases, pandemic restrictions have been lifted across the U.S. Many people are taking off their masks and returning to indoor spaces like restaurants and theaters.

And the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions" target="_blank">the share caused by BA.2 is up significantly.</a>&nbsp;The CDC reported Tuesday that the variant accounted for about 35% of new infections last week. In the Northeast, it was about half.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, told ABC’s “This Week” over the weekend that he also thinks the U.S. will likely face an “uptick” similar to what’s happening in Europe, particularly the United Kingdom, where BA.2 is the dominant strain. He said he doesn’t think it will be a “surge.”

The U.K. has “had the same situation as we’ve had now,” Fauci said. “They have BA.2. They have a relaxation of some restrictions such as indoor masking and there’s a waning of immunity” from vaccines and past infections.

Keri Althoff, a researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, cautioned that CDC case counts underestimate the true numbers because some people are no longer getting tested and others are testing at home and not reporting the results. Also, she said, not every specimen is genetically sequenced to determine the variant.

It’s clear, she said, “BA.2 is coming onto the scene.”

One reason the variant has gained ground, scientists say,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-world-health-organization-public-health-7e4cd2f5f6cd2ec87393b3cc9ce41c9c">is that it’s about 30% more contagious than the original omicron</a>. In rare cases, research shows it can sicken people even if they’ve already had an omicron infection — although it doesn’t seem to cause more severe disease.

Vaccines appear just as effective against both types of omicron, but breakthrough infections are possible. And experts point out that vaccination rates are lower in the U.S. than the U.K. About 74% of those 12 and older are fully vaccinated in the U.S, compared with 86% in the U.K.

”We need to emphasize that we’re not protected in this country compared to peer countries,” Topol said.

Still, not all experts are equally concerned about a BA.2-related rise in U.S. cases. Dr. James Musser, head of genomic medicine and infectious diseases at Houston Methodist, said the variant has so far only caused about 1% to 3% of cases in his medical system. Cases there have usually tracked closely with what’s happening in the U.K.

He called BA.2 “something we’re keeping an eye on,” but said, “I’m not losing sleep” over it.

That’s how many scientists view the other variant that some in the public are calling “deltacron,” a hybrid containing genetic information from both delta and omicron.

Earlier this month, Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization said the hybrid has been detected at “very low levels” in France, the Netherlands and Denmark. And two recent studies, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, point to a tiny number of cases in the U.S.

Much remains unknown about the hybrid. There’s no evidence it causes more severe disease, and it doesn’t look like it’s infecting many people. CDC researchers identified 9 samples, seven from the mid-Atlantic region in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.19.484981v1.full.pdf+html" target="_blank">study released Monday</a>&nbsp;that hasn’t yet been peer-reviewed. Topol, who was not involved in the research, said there’s no evidence it has the potential to spread.

It’s common for coronaviruses to shuffle gene segments, said Dr. Stuart Campbell Ray, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University. With two variants circulating at the same time, people may get double infections, and a “progeny virus” could emerge.

Given the virus’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-pandemics-dc99bc9f769dd6d7cb669e3d185c6261">ability to spawn new mutants</a>&nbsp;— and the rise of BA.2 — experts say people should get vaccinated if they’re not and keep their masks handy.

“Keep your guard up,” Topol said. “This is not over.”

By LAURA UNGAR, Associated PressWith coronavirus cases rising in parts of Europe and Asia, scientists worry that an extra-contagious version of the omicron variant may soon push cases up in the United States too.Experts are also keeping their eyes on another mutant: a rare delta-omicron hybrid that they say doesn’t pose much of a threat right now but shows how wily the coronavirus can be.The U.S. will likely see an uptick in cases caused by the omicron descendant BA.2 starting in the next few weeks, according to Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute.“It’s inevitable we will see a BA.2 wave here,” he said.One reason? After about two months of falling COVID-19 cases, pandemic restrictions have been lifted across the U.S. Many people are taking off their masks and returning to indoor spaces like restaurants and theaters.And the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions" target="_blank">the share caused by BA.2 is up significantly.</a>&nbsp;The CDC reported Tuesday that the variant accounted for about 35% of new infections last week. In the Northeast, it was about half.Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, told ABC’s “This Week” over the weekend that he also thinks the U.S. will likely face an “uptick” similar to what’s happening in Europe, particularly the United Kingdom, where BA.2 is the dominant strain. He said he doesn’t think it will be a “surge.”The U.K. has “had the same situation as we’ve had now,” Fauci said. “They have BA.2. They have a relaxation of some restrictions such as indoor masking and there’s a waning of immunity” from vaccines and past infections.Keri Althoff, a researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, cautioned that CDC case counts underestimate the true numbers because some people are no longer getting tested and others are testing at home and not reporting the results. Also, she said, not every specimen is genetically sequenced to determine the variant.It’s clear, she said, “BA.2 is coming onto the scene.”One reason the variant has gained ground, scientists say,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-world-health-organization-public-health-7e4cd2f5f6cd2ec87393b3cc9ce41c9c">is that it’s about 30% more contagious than the original omicron</a>. In rare cases, research shows it can sicken people even if they’ve already had an omicron infection — although it doesn’t seem to cause more severe disease.Vaccines appear just as effective against both types of omicron, but breakthrough infections are possible. And experts point out that vaccination rates are lower in the U.S. than the U.K. About 74% of those 12 and older are fully vaccinated in the U.S, compared with 86% in the U.K.”We need to emphasize that we’re not protected in this country compared to peer countries,” Topol said.Still, not all experts are equally concerned about a BA.2-related rise in U.S. cases. Dr. James Musser, head of genomic medicine and infectious diseases at Houston Methodist, said the variant has so far only caused about 1% to 3% of cases in his medical system. Cases there have usually tracked closely with what’s happening in the U.K.He called BA.2 “something we’re keeping an eye on,” but said, “I’m not losing sleep” over it.That’s how many scientists view the other variant that some in the public are calling “deltacron,” a hybrid containing genetic information from both delta and omicron.Earlier this month, Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization said the hybrid has been detected at “very low levels” in France, the Netherlands and Denmark. And two recent studies, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, point to a tiny number of cases in the U.S.Much remains unknown about the hybrid. There’s no evidence it causes more severe disease, and it doesn’t look like it’s infecting many people. CDC researchers identified 9 samples, seven from the mid-Atlantic region in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.03.19.484981v1.full.pdf+html" target="_blank">study released Monday</a>&nbsp;that hasn’t yet been peer-reviewed. Topol, who was not involved in the research, said there’s no evidence it has the potential to spread.It’s common for coronaviruses to shuffle gene segments, said Dr. Stuart Campbell Ray, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins University. With two variants circulating at the same time, people may get double infections, and a “progeny virus” could emerge.Given the virus’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-pandemics-dc99bc9f769dd6d7cb669e3d185c6261">ability to spawn new mutants</a>&nbsp;— and the rise of BA.2 — experts say people should get vaccinated if they’re not and keep their masks handy.“Keep your guard up,” Topol said. “This is not over.”___

Scientists worry virus variant may push up COVID cases in US

Stiefel Theatre Executive Director Jane Gates announced this afternoon that the theatre's COVID-19 policy is being removed. Following is a statement from Gates.

The Stiefel Theatre in Salina, KS has removed the COVID-19 mandate for attendance to shows.&nbsp; Going forward we will be following the local government guidelines and hoping that things continue to improve as many artists have now removed their COVID restrictions.&nbsp;

A few artists will continue to have specific COVID requirements that will be handled on a show-by-show basis.&nbsp;&nbsp;

At this time the only two shows we have currently announced requiring proof of a negative COVID test or proof of vaccination are Jay Leno on April 8, and Patty Griffin on May 4.&nbsp;

The Stiefel website will have information about which shows have COVID requirements on individual artist's pages. The official Stiefel website can be found at:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stiefeltheatre.org/" target="_blank">www.stiefeltheatre.org</a>.

We want to thank people for their understanding and support of the Stiefel during this difficult time, especially those who were understanding of our need for this policy. The live music business has been shuttered by COVID-19. When a band member gets COVID the tour has to shut down. Bands, venues and local economies have lost millions of dollars over this pandemic. While we have been so grateful to have shows back after being closed for 16 months, we also have been saddened to see the number of deaths from COVID and the difficulty of mandating COVID protocols to help keep people safe. We pray that things continue to get better.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Stiefel Theatre Executive Director Jane Gates announced this afternoon that the theatre's COVID-19 policy is being removed. Following is a statement from Gates.The Stiefel Theatre in Salina, KS has removed the COVID-19 mandate for attendance to shows.&nbsp; Going forward we will be following the local government guidelines and hoping that things continue to improve as many artists have now removed their COVID restrictions.&nbsp;A few artists will continue to have specific COVID requirements that will be handled on a show-by-show basis.&nbsp;&nbsp; At this time the only two shows we have currently announced requiring proof of a negative COVID test or proof of vaccination are Jay Leno on April 8, and Patty Griffin on May 4.&nbsp;The Stiefel website will have information about which shows have COVID requirements on individual artist's pages. The official Stiefel website can be found at:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stiefeltheatre.org/" target="_blank">www.stiefeltheatre.org</a>.We want to thank people for their understanding and support of the Stiefel during this difficult time, especially those who were understanding of our need for this policy. The live music business has been shuttered by COVID-19. When a band member gets COVID the tour has to shut down. Bands, venues and local economies have lost millions of dollars over this pandemic. While we have been so grateful to have shows back after being closed for 16 months, we also have been saddened to see the number of deaths from COVID and the difficulty of mandating COVID protocols to help keep people safe. We pray that things continue to get better.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Stiefel Theatre removes COVID-19 policy

Following is the Saline County Health Department's COVID-19 update for Wednesday.&nbsp;

This will be our final public update of "COVID by the Numbers."

Our staff would like to thank everyone who supported us as we navigated the uncharted waters of a global pandemic. The hours were long. The days were tough. Tears were shed at home and in the office.

We were often the bearers of bad news, the unwelcome phone call. We asked you to stay home, to miss work, to pull your kids out of school, to cancel your travel plans. We asked you to disrupt your life and to have faith that by doing so you were potentially saving lives.

We will never know how many were saved from sickness or spared from death by the actions you took to mitigate the spread, only the number of those who were not as fortunate.

Our public reporting is ending but our fight for the health of our community never will. It has, and continues to be, an honor to serve you.

For the health of all, The Saline County Health Department&nbsp;&nbsp;

COVID Case Update for Saline County Another 18 people have had COVID-19 positive test results reported to the Saline County Health Department since our last update on Wednesday.

The Salina Regional Health Center reports that 2 people are hospitalized due to COVID-19.

There are 34 known active cases of COVID-19 in Saline County.&nbsp;&nbsp;

We are ending our regular COVID reporting, and here's why

Today is the final edition of "COVID by the Numbers" from the Saline County Health Department. The Saline County COVID dashboard will be removed this week as well.

While our public reporting is ending, the County&nbsp;Health&nbsp;Department will continue to provide COVID services as needed and as we are able.

Since the pandemic began, much of our staffing, time, and resources have been diverted to combat the pandemic. Unfortunately, many long-standing and valuable programs provided by the&nbsp;Health&nbsp;Department have not received the attention they merit during that time. Our staff is looking forward to a renewed focus on programs and services unrelated to COVID.

The goal of public reporting was to give the public an accurate understanding of COVID in our county. Welcome changes like ubiquitous, reliable at-home testing means reported data is less reflective of the overall situation. Additionally, the Kansas Department of&nbsp;Health&nbsp;and Environment has taken over all new COVID case investigations.

You can continue to find updated COVID information and data points on the websites below.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001UlWnTPVTtAvfuzVZ8wxT_n2cjg8bgw5CGq64TH_GG0KG3rE5ITyPMoD5AwTbGsbQPmQwpevIwP3hMlm6zWf-JTnNchyMQsJuZ5qNax4D3FABZx8dlg--5C-NE1HJDOSkCMIDVRCjPPyNJgZDIYWpyyA67QZ66eTVEAWO57UaLzcfn17P7pUp_7S_y7sNe3pq&amp;c=P-lPCOh2nLfyrfNYcSqcZhR7VHcehGJsFdUw1h_eqj4MgmJA723gag==&amp;ch=-AR23qr2jeix-hKttDA4oekIB1gtdF5OK3cKVgMKadJdL_-2BMJ8Fw==" target="_blank">Kansas&nbsp;COVID Overview</a>

<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001UlWnTPVTtAvfuzVZ8wxT_n2cjg8bgw5CGq64TH_GG0KG3rE5ITyPMoifQskfLHBRcjKaHjFGp2GKBSGJ_o7YhqEfhPcB7Mcu5mlZp0VmoPLqhzwah7LDF8sld-Pq9CGtoxOKxnTdFFiInERomQHN7val0DSD-esAAOjq4GO3pngbFwgzHSb38968Vp6REGHj&amp;c=P-lPCOh2nLfyrfNYcSqcZhR7VHcehGJsFdUw1h_eqj4MgmJA723gag==&amp;ch=-AR23qr2jeix-hKttDA4oekIB1gtdF5OK3cKVgMKadJdL_-2BMJ8Fw==" target="_blank">US COVID Data Tracker</a>

Following is the Saline County Health Department's COVID-19 update for Wednesday.&nbsp;This will be our final public update of "COVID by the Numbers." Our staff would like to thank everyone who supported us as we navigated the uncharted waters of a global pandemic. The hours were long. The days were tough. Tears were shed at home and in the office. We were often the bearers of bad news, the unwelcome phone call. We asked you to stay home, to miss work, to pull your kids out of school, to cancel your travel plans. We asked you to disrupt your life and to have faith that by doing so you were potentially saving lives. We will never know how many were saved from sickness or spared from death by the actions you took to mitigate the spread, only the number of those who were not as fortunate. Our public reporting is ending but our fight for the health of our community never will. It has, and continues to be, an honor to serve you. For the health of all, The Saline County Health Department&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646865226045.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>COVID Case Update for Saline County Another 18 people have had COVID-19 positive test results reported to the Saline County Health Department since our last update on Wednesday.The Salina Regional Health Center reports that 2 people are hospitalized due to COVID-19. There are 34 known active cases of COVID-19 in Saline County.&nbsp;&nbsp;We are ending our regular COVID reporting, and here's whyToday is the final edition of "COVID by the Numbers" from the Saline County Health Department. The Saline County COVID dashboard will be removed this week as well. While our public reporting is ending, the County&nbsp;Health&nbsp;Department will continue to provide COVID services as needed and as we are able. Since the pandemic began, much of our staffing, time, and resources have been diverted to combat the pandemic. Unfortunately, many long-standing and valuable programs provided by the&nbsp;Health&nbsp;Department have not received the attention they merit during that time. Our staff is looking forward to a renewed focus on programs and services unrelated to COVID. The goal of public reporting was to give the public an accurate understanding of COVID in our county. Welcome changes like ubiquitous, reliable at-home testing means reported data is less reflective of the overall situation. Additionally, the Kansas Department of&nbsp;Health&nbsp;and Environment has taken over all new COVID case investigations. You can continue to find updated COVID information and data points on the websites below.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001UlWnTPVTtAvfuzVZ8wxT_n2cjg8bgw5CGq64TH_GG0KG3rE5ITyPMoD5AwTbGsbQPmQwpevIwP3hMlm6zWf-JTnNchyMQsJuZ5qNax4D3FABZx8dlg--5C-NE1HJDOSkCMIDVRCjPPyNJgZDIYWpyyA67QZ66eTVEAWO57UaLzcfn17P7pUp_7S_y7sNe3pq&amp;c=P-lPCOh2nLfyrfNYcSqcZhR7VHcehGJsFdUw1h_eqj4MgmJA723gag==&amp;ch=-AR23qr2jeix-hKttDA4oekIB1gtdF5OK3cKVgMKadJdL_-2BMJ8Fw==" target="_blank">Kansas&nbsp;COVID Overview</a><a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001UlWnTPVTtAvfuzVZ8wxT_n2cjg8bgw5CGq64TH_GG0KG3rE5ITyPMoifQskfLHBRcjKaHjFGp2GKBSGJ_o7YhqEfhPcB7Mcu5mlZp0VmoPLqhzwah7LDF8sld-Pq9CGtoxOKxnTdFFiInERomQHN7val0DSD-esAAOjq4GO3pngbFwgzHSb38968Vp6REGHj&amp;c=P-lPCOh2nLfyrfNYcSqcZhR7VHcehGJsFdUw1h_eqj4MgmJA723gag==&amp;ch=-AR23qr2jeix-hKttDA4oekIB1gtdF5OK3cKVgMKadJdL_-2BMJ8Fw==" target="_blank">US COVID Data Tracker</a>

Saline County Health Department issues final COVID by the Numbers

TOPEKA — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 513 to a total of 767,482, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The state reported 8 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 7983.

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.

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

As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;

Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

TOPEKA — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases* (see below) in Kansas increased by 513 to a total of 767,482, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp; &nbsp;The state reported 8 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of 7983.<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a> about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.As of August 1, 2021, in accordance with an&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">updated CDC/CSTE surveillance case definition</a>, a confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by molecular detection (e.g., PCR, NAA) or identification of SARS-CoV-2 through genetic sequencing. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (antigen) or b) no lab testing but meeting clinical case criteria and is epi-linked. A person will be counted as a new surveillance case (e.g. reinfection) if they test positive for SARS-CoV-2 by a diagnostic test (i.e., molecular, antigen) and it has been greater than 90 days since the previous positive diagnostic test. In addition, a person with sequencing results identifying different SARS-CoV-2 lineages regardless of the time since the previous specimen sequenced will be counted as a new surveillance case.&nbsp;Cases occurring between&nbsp;September 1, 2020&nbsp;and July 29, 2021 were classified by&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/" target="_blank">previous CDC/CSTE case definition,&nbsp;</a>and cases prior to September 1, 2020 were classified by the&nbsp;<a href="https://ndc.services.cdc.gov/case-definitions/coronavirus-disease-2019-2020/" target="_blank">original case definition</a>.

KDHE: Latest COVID-19 numbers in Kansas

Following is the Saline County Health Department COVID-19 update for Wednesday.

Two additional members of our community have lost their lives to COVID-19 since our last update on Wednesday.

Another 23 people have had COVID-19 positive test results reported to the Saline County Health Department.

The Salina Regional Health Center reports that 5 people are hospitalized due to COVID-19.

There are 60 known active cases of COVID-19 in Saline County.

Public reporting of COVID-19 case updates will end next week.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Vn2FpvamHkTqlAl8UQaUWpcP_TQiG7cIXi-RCXfKUjR54EsqpYM-KWP-aIEtKAvqiX9DCtgTcjJ63wlhJMLc1OpEKSBbMS-OKhM19pfELzBmYy5AX0idPcevMDouJe4TVyF3k-1XC5ZK0IrqozCmb4PeZ-bpqoq5L9lQ5aCkSl80C0fxKUE1VuZiEHfnHHmE&amp;c=PTVIunqDDsDrf90LM566rVhdjjhuYV5oOzwZkbAdoeiOlRuFEmIjXg==&amp;ch=O9NyLSMbMzeKAHSe6_2PievnOOEwkGVs9mWpsx_9c6YGF223iexT_w==" target="_blank">Kansas&nbsp;COVID Overview</a>

<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Vn2FpvamHkTqlAl8UQaUWpcP_TQiG7cIXi-RCXfKUjR54EsqpYM-KdFcpYdIPVmA2FtsV8l9mR-p8qPxZCNf3UwaZMVe9svgI4lyzgp1Wsb6DpPhmNLEYQr7JoJ42KryhX_Yd9DbhUUEAfWfio6m51LaqlQ5tOLftKPq7laMRC1zLUnC-Uh2PaSut74dcqS_&amp;c=PTVIunqDDsDrf90LM566rVhdjjhuYV5oOzwZkbAdoeiOlRuFEmIjXg==&amp;ch=O9NyLSMbMzeKAHSe6_2PievnOOEwkGVs9mWpsx_9c6YGF223iexT_w==" target="_blank">US COVID Data Tracker</a>

COVID Vaccination Update for Saline County An additional 54 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 this week, an increase of .1 percent.

A total of 30,104 residents of Saline County have been vaccinated, accounting for 55.5 percent of the total population.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Vn2FpvamHkTqlAl8UQaUWpcP_TQiG7cIXi-RCXfKUjR54EsqpYM-KaYHy0XFB3kOoGMRJqcz1dEqQJs-dK17fO1Gxq_WJU3xdXiNFC4ZdDdcCPlpA0ic27yHjVj7zKDXGnAHlMrR8xpxnYgkBL5CIQ==&amp;c=PTVIunqDDsDrf90LM566rVhdjjhuYV5oOzwZkbAdoeiOlRuFEmIjXg==&amp;ch=O9NyLSMbMzeKAHSe6_2PievnOOEwkGVs9mWpsx_9c6YGF223iexT_w==" target="_blank">Vaccine Finder</a>

Following is the Saline County Health Department COVID-19 update for Wednesday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646260605078.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Two additional members of our community have lost their lives to COVID-19 since our last update on Wednesday. Another 23 people have had COVID-19 positive test results reported to the Saline County Health Department. The Salina Regional Health Center reports that 5 people are hospitalized due to COVID-19. There are 60 known active cases of COVID-19 in Saline County. Public reporting of COVID-19 case updates will end next week.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Vn2FpvamHkTqlAl8UQaUWpcP_TQiG7cIXi-RCXfKUjR54EsqpYM-KWP-aIEtKAvqiX9DCtgTcjJ63wlhJMLc1OpEKSBbMS-OKhM19pfELzBmYy5AX0idPcevMDouJe4TVyF3k-1XC5ZK0IrqozCmb4PeZ-bpqoq5L9lQ5aCkSl80C0fxKUE1VuZiEHfnHHmE&amp;c=PTVIunqDDsDrf90LM566rVhdjjhuYV5oOzwZkbAdoeiOlRuFEmIjXg==&amp;ch=O9NyLSMbMzeKAHSe6_2PievnOOEwkGVs9mWpsx_9c6YGF223iexT_w==" target="_blank">Kansas&nbsp;COVID Overview</a><a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Vn2FpvamHkTqlAl8UQaUWpcP_TQiG7cIXi-RCXfKUjR54EsqpYM-KdFcpYdIPVmA2FtsV8l9mR-p8qPxZCNf3UwaZMVe9svgI4lyzgp1Wsb6DpPhmNLEYQr7JoJ42KryhX_Yd9DbhUUEAfWfio6m51LaqlQ5tOLftKPq7laMRC1zLUnC-Uh2PaSut74dcqS_&amp;c=PTVIunqDDsDrf90LM566rVhdjjhuYV5oOzwZkbAdoeiOlRuFEmIjXg==&amp;ch=O9NyLSMbMzeKAHSe6_2PievnOOEwkGVs9mWpsx_9c6YGF223iexT_w==" target="_blank">US COVID Data Tracker</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646260462109.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>COVID Vaccination Update for Saline County An additional 54 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 this week, an increase of .1 percent. A total of 30,104 residents of Saline County have been vaccinated, accounting for 55.5 percent of the total population.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Vn2FpvamHkTqlAl8UQaUWpcP_TQiG7cIXi-RCXfKUjR54EsqpYM-KaYHy0XFB3kOoGMRJqcz1dEqQJs-dK17fO1Gxq_WJU3xdXiNFC4ZdDdcCPlpA0ic27yHjVj7zKDXGnAHlMrR8xpxnYgkBL5CIQ==&amp;c=PTVIunqDDsDrf90LM566rVhdjjhuYV5oOzwZkbAdoeiOlRuFEmIjXg==&amp;ch=O9NyLSMbMzeKAHSe6_2PievnOOEwkGVs9mWpsx_9c6YGF223iexT_w==" target="_blank">Vaccine Finder</a>

Saline County: 2 additional deaths; 60 known active cases

The Saline County Health Department will end regular reporting of "COVID by the Numbers," March 9. At this time the Saline County COVID dashboard will also be removed.

While our public reporting is ending, the County Health Department will continue to provide COVID services as needed and as we are able.

Since the pandemic began much of our staffing, time, and resources have been diverted to combat the pandemic. Unfortunately, many long-standing and valuable programs provided by the Health Department have not received the attention they merit during that time. Our staff is looking forward to a renewed focus on programming and services unrelated to COVID.

The goal of public reporting was to give the public an accurate understanding of COVID in our county. Welcome changes like reliable at-home testing like ubiquitous at home testing, means reported data is less reflective of the overall situation. Additionally, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has taken over all new COVID case investigations.

You can continue to find updated COVID information and data points on the websites below.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bRFke6r1gc9vDd00S4ZiO40-eYKSAhrGLCAO-HH2ADFnVs4YIoRS9RLq7cqf_zxOTMV2GhDgdcSVoq-Z2_688aTFr-9httyU1WookadJ5IhsJR_vfllzn6KukjYbkQ5x0M01j1wVn6BKDuuE3Ru00RITAv-2vl7A6iJZtC3x8FpKt3aCNvGlsYcodrtTPpBO&amp;c=tlIRCHvqFyq24ITWSRkVKM01ULQA0d2t_AyE57a8p7383LMHJdA2hQ==&amp;ch=LFeWvIRft2IXENpDFDUQoAeH9iKP6U13dmIiJDubP3Md6ATJSxy1hA==" target="_blank">KDHE&nbsp;COVID Overview</a>

<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bRFke6r1gc9vDd00S4ZiO40-eYKSAhrGLCAO-HH2ADFnVs4YIoRS9feKySc1--4j8VPxz4Gx242pK0ebQCFQs9ihfJJA6b8AXhkpUPEkHSA4Yya0yxAn_PIAvkqOk4MX3E6c5nlgajCzmTjvGsRycEn9uF_kRT7Yo3T_47xnPDmnPfyZSM0tvTzhsMFxhdT-&amp;c=tlIRCHvqFyq24ITWSRkVKM01ULQA0d2t_AyE57a8p7383LMHJdA2hQ==&amp;ch=LFeWvIRft2IXENpDFDUQoAeH9iKP6U13dmIiJDubP3Md6ATJSxy1hA==" target="_blank">CDC&nbsp;COVID Data&nbsp;Tracker</a>

Saline County Health DepartmentThe Saline County Health Department will end regular reporting of "COVID by the Numbers," March 9. At this time the Saline County COVID dashboard will also be removed. While our public reporting is ending, the County Health Department will continue to provide COVID services as needed and as we are able. Since the pandemic began much of our staffing, time, and resources have been diverted to combat the pandemic. Unfortunately, many long-standing and valuable programs provided by the Health Department have not received the attention they merit during that time. Our staff is looking forward to a renewed focus on programming and services unrelated to COVID. The goal of public reporting was to give the public an accurate understanding of COVID in our county. Welcome changes like reliable at-home testing like ubiquitous at home testing, means reported data is less reflective of the overall situation. Additionally, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has taken over all new COVID case investigations. You can continue to find updated COVID information and data points on the websites below.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bRFke6r1gc9vDd00S4ZiO40-eYKSAhrGLCAO-HH2ADFnVs4YIoRS9RLq7cqf_zxOTMV2GhDgdcSVoq-Z2_688aTFr-9httyU1WookadJ5IhsJR_vfllzn6KukjYbkQ5x0M01j1wVn6BKDuuE3Ru00RITAv-2vl7A6iJZtC3x8FpKt3aCNvGlsYcodrtTPpBO&amp;c=tlIRCHvqFyq24ITWSRkVKM01ULQA0d2t_AyE57a8p7383LMHJdA2hQ==&amp;ch=LFeWvIRft2IXENpDFDUQoAeH9iKP6U13dmIiJDubP3Md6ATJSxy1hA==" target="_blank">KDHE&nbsp;COVID Overview</a><a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001bRFke6r1gc9vDd00S4ZiO40-eYKSAhrGLCAO-HH2ADFnVs4YIoRS9feKySc1--4j8VPxz4Gx242pK0ebQCFQs9ihfJJA6b8AXhkpUPEkHSA4Yya0yxAn_PIAvkqOk4MX3E6c5nlgajCzmTjvGsRycEn9uF_kRT7Yo3T_47xnPDmnPfyZSM0tvTzhsMFxhdT-&amp;c=tlIRCHvqFyq24ITWSRkVKM01ULQA0d2t_AyE57a8p7383LMHJdA2hQ==&amp;ch=LFeWvIRft2IXENpDFDUQoAeH9iKP6U13dmIiJDubP3Md6ATJSxy1hA==" target="_blank">CDC&nbsp;COVID Data&nbsp;Tracker</a>

Saline County Health Department to end regular COVID-19 reports

Following is the McPherson County Health Department COVID-19 update for Thursday.

In December 2021, 596 cases of COVID-19 were reported to McPherson County Health Department (MCHD). In January 2022, 1,834 cases were reported. As of this release, 452 cases have been reported for February 2022. New case rates have continued to significantly decline. McPherson County has averaged 7 new cases per day for the past 10 days (February 15th through February 24th).

Effective January 31, 2022, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) took over all McPherson County COVID-19 case investigations. If you are diagnosed with COVID-19, you may call 785-542-6625 or email <a href="mailto:KDHE.COVIDinvestigation@ks.gov">KDHE.COVIDinvestigation@ks.gov</a>. You may also receive a text message from KDHE asking for you to complete a survey that will prioritize your need to be contacted based on your relation to congregate settings or need for an isolation letter. If you have a positive COVID-19 home test, we continue to recommend seeking lab confirmation by getting tested at a testing site. If you cannot do so, we recommend following isolation guidelines that can be found here <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.../Isolation--Quarantine-Guidance-and-FAQs-PDF---12422">https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.../Isolation--Quarantine-Guidance-and-FAQs-PDF---12422</a>.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) have changed the isolation and quarantine guidelines, which may be referred to as “the 5/5 rule.” People who test positive continue to have a 10 day isolation period, however, if the case is 24 hours fever free without fever-reducing medication and feels significantly better on day 5, they may leave home isolation on day 6 but only if they mask when around others through their 10 day period. If they cannot mask, they cannot leave home isolation. People who are named a close contact will continue to have a 10 day quarantine period, however, if the close contact is asymptomatic and/or tests negative on day 5, they may leave home quarantine on day 6 but only if they mask when around others through their 10 day period. If they cannot mask, they cannot leave home quarantine. An infographic explaining this further can be found at <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1086/Isolation-Quarantine-Release-Graphic-KS-PDF---11922">https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1086/Isolation-Quarantine-Release-Graphic-KS-PDF---11922</a>. KDHE will no longer post travel and exposure-related quarantine lists as of February 17, 2022.

COVID-19 data in McPherson County can be found on the home page of <a href="http://mcphersoncountyks.us">mcphersoncountyks.us</a>, under “McPhersonCounty COVID-19 Dashboard.” This data will continue to be updated Tuesdays and Thursdays of each week.

Following is the McPherson County Health Department COVID-19 update for Thursday.In December 2021, 596 cases of COVID-19 were reported to McPherson County Health Department (MCHD). In January 2022, 1,834 cases were reported. As of this release, 452 cases have been reported for February 2022. New case rates have continued to significantly decline. McPherson County has averaged 7 new cases per day for the past 10 days (February 15th through February 24th).Effective January 31, 2022, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) took over all McPherson County COVID-19 case investigations. If you are diagnosed with COVID-19, you may call 785-542-6625 or email <a href="mailto:KDHE.COVIDinvestigation@ks.gov">KDHE.COVIDinvestigation@ks.gov</a>. You may also receive a text message from KDHE asking for you to complete a survey that will prioritize your need to be contacted based on your relation to congregate settings or need for an isolation letter. If you have a positive COVID-19 home test, we continue to recommend seeking lab confirmation by getting tested at a testing site. If you cannot do so, we recommend following isolation guidelines that can be found here <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.../Isolation--Quarantine-Guidance-and-FAQs-PDF---12422">https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.../Isolation--Quarantine-Guidance-and-FAQs-PDF---12422</a>.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) have changed the isolation and quarantine guidelines, which may be referred to as “the 5/5 rule.” People who test positive continue to have a 10 day isolation period, however, if the case is 24 hours fever free without fever-reducing medication and feels significantly better on day 5, they may leave home isolation on day 6 but only if they mask when around others through their 10 day period. If they cannot mask, they cannot leave home isolation. People who are named a close contact will continue to have a 10 day quarantine period, however, if the close contact is asymptomatic and/or tests negative on day 5, they may leave home quarantine on day 6 but only if they mask when around others through their 10 day period. If they cannot mask, they cannot leave home quarantine. An infographic explaining this further can be found at <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1086/Isolation-Quarantine-Release-Graphic-KS-PDF---11922">https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1086/Isolation-Quarantine-Release-Graphic-KS-PDF---11922</a>. KDHE will no longer post travel and exposure-related quarantine lists as of February 17, 2022.COVID-19 data in McPherson County can be found on the home page of <a href="http://mcphersoncountyks.us">mcphersoncountyks.us</a>, under “McPhersonCounty COVID-19 Dashboard.” This data will continue to be updated Tuesdays and Thursdays of each week.

McPherson County Health Department COVID-19 weekly update

Three additional members of our community have lost their lives to COVID-19 since our last update on Friday.

Another 26 people have had COVID-19 positive test results reported to the Saline County Health Department.

The Salina Regional Health Center reports that 11 people are hospitalized due to COVID-19.

There are 103 known active cases of COVID-19 in Saline County.

As of February 1, all new cases are handled by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ad3q5AQuQAx9RTb9d3tvdL7jFtrAy3PanAKWXDak6f7cCjUh9Q0UiD9qmZnCforjvYHar9rELrKaFhecjzsBTV0Ra6NAbmKcTUu6ABOVZS_VsVIHtKUC0DDhm4-Cd1AXdFdiGL8dxaZey4zjhMSIbTAOeeVo7Kl7&amp;c=NVfhHJ8rTkqI77Go48Rh5DPWtlNdinlD5n1HaWAoRztUvjxP71uMGw==&amp;ch=qa7ccVk-X6-mZp8eA5sNVFLTASGRnpZNVDao8EOspPKG-9pfSArSnQ==" target="_blank">Saline County&nbsp;COVID Information</a>

<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ad3q5AQuQAx9RTb9d3tvdL7jFtrAy3PanAKWXDak6f7cCjUh9Q0UiIg1LdAOWLj9Ktl24Rv2jOeWmrx8FZ07uwJj6eZbgUMASChhsxIxWDqUHIRkouz0Skon2velZk8EPdyJcfdLjnqlhCmQNETSv8YOmF-Us5VYOqUccd5r9Bq5xgBxu24O2QyZb8oOhjNR&amp;c=NVfhHJ8rTkqI77Go48Rh5DPWtlNdinlD5n1HaWAoRztUvjxP71uMGw==&amp;ch=qa7ccVk-X6-mZp8eA5sNVFLTASGRnpZNVDao8EOspPKG-9pfSArSnQ==" target="_blank">Kansas&nbsp;COVID Overview</a>

<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ad3q5AQuQAx9RTb9d3tvdL7jFtrAy3PanAKWXDak6f7cCjUh9Q0UiOuW7dBiesbGTx2ZVWBOM1ZkT_jfgUdiGRmaT0ARbC_VFeNnewzyY_vnKLp1Sv9xKjCIpOEb-Gi8R5YuZrnlAs0TBRjr54fGIV9Kpw94YCGOKxPF3Yjkf2yE09Gm0HnXl5j0JZQZM1zZ&amp;c=NVfhHJ8rTkqI77Go48Rh5DPWtlNdinlD5n1HaWAoRztUvjxP71uMGw==&amp;ch=qa7ccVk-X6-mZp8eA5sNVFLTASGRnpZNVDao8EOspPKG-9pfSArSnQ==" target="_blank">US COVID Data Tracker</a>

COVID Vaccination Update for Saline County

●An additional 65 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 this week, an increase of .1 percent.

●A total of 30,050 residents of Saline County have been vaccinated, accounting for 55.4 percent of the total population.

<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ad3q5AQuQAx9RTb9d3tvdL7jFtrAy3PanAKWXDak6f7cCjUh9Q0UiMyPNYNJLjHXho2HGK1PfPb4mOrYGzFdvSMIEsJn-tLMtHpr80OnhgV_k5Tiob06RIwvC_P6ZhuKxN7MsnaJKxkqIQH1hmBljA==&amp;c=NVfhHJ8rTkqI77Go48Rh5DPWtlNdinlD5n1HaWAoRztUvjxP71uMGw==&amp;ch=qa7ccVk-X6-mZp8eA5sNVFLTASGRnpZNVDao8EOspPKG-9pfSArSnQ==" target="_blank">Vaccine Finder</a>

<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ad3q5AQuQAx9RTb9d3tvdL7jFtrAy3PanAKWXDak6f7cCjUh9Q0UiEJ-3tPUam_er79HBKSPqotJHlCm-Bn7ol4nFVA3FP0Baq-GCZrQkmSB4I8wWCKlJhIwd4pZwSsR68FXFZJmmF8mW7K18k0EfGZJxcesWkv5t-BZ3uj2QeQ=&amp;c=NVfhHJ8rTkqI77Go48Rh5DPWtlNdinlD5n1HaWAoRztUvjxP71uMGw==&amp;ch=qa7ccVk-X6-mZp8eA5sNVFLTASGRnpZNVDao8EOspPKG-9pfSArSnQ==" target="_blank">Vaccinate Saline County</a>

The best way to stop the spread of COVID-19 and thus prevent mutation of the virus is:

●Stay home&nbsp;if you are sick.

●Get tested&nbsp;if you feel unwell, even if you don’t believe it is COVID.

●Get vaccinated. You can find a vaccine at&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ad3q5AQuQAx9RTb9d3tvdL7jFtrAy3PanAKWXDak6f7cCjUh9Q0UiMyPNYNJLjHXho2HGK1PfPb4mOrYGzFdvSMIEsJn-tLMtHpr80OnhgV_k5Tiob06RIwvC_P6ZhuKxN7MsnaJKxkqIQH1hmBljA==&amp;c=NVfhHJ8rTkqI77Go48Rh5DPWtlNdinlD5n1HaWAoRztUvjxP71uMGw==&amp;ch=qa7ccVk-X6-mZp8eA5sNVFLTASGRnpZNVDao8EOspPKG-9pfSArSnQ==" target="_blank">vaccines.gov</a>&nbsp;or contact your local medical provider.

●Wear a mask, especially if you are not fully vaccinated. If you are fully vaccinated, wear a mask when indoors in crowded spaces.

●Maintain at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and those with whom you do not live.

●Do not travel to&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ad3q5AQuQAx9RTb9d3tvdL7jFtrAy3PanAKWXDak6f7cCjUh9Q0UiMyPNYNJLjHXc-XVbV4jYm2tIgTrndyLU0G6BVFilaahOuZ2R5CbXP1YRmHt4QdnAplLtTSMqhxAVLGTs_kry8hwPCnBq5nkFyNdQwLxi7i7g_H63YPnQf5IBXjxvSjgZNFoMZJBwweIAnZJDLlrvKTxXVKU6TMCftp4sRPczdSH&amp;c=NVfhHJ8rTkqI77Go48Rh5DPWtlNdinlD5n1HaWAoRztUvjxP71uMGw==&amp;ch=qa7ccVk-X6-mZp8eA5sNVFLTASGRnpZNVDao8EOspPKG-9pfSArSnQ==" target="_blank">“hot spots."</a>

●If you test positive, isolate immediately and be open and honest with COVID caseworkers about your contacts.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Following is the Saline County Health Department COVID-19 update for Wednesday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645663905296.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Three additional members of our community have lost their lives to COVID-19 since our last update on Friday. Another 26 people have had COVID-19 positive test results reported to the Saline County Health Department. The Salina Regional Health Center reports that 11 people are hospitalized due to COVID-19. There are 103 known active cases of COVID-19 in Saline County. As of February 1, all new cases are handled by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ad3q5AQuQAx9RTb9d3tvdL7jFtrAy3PanAKWXDak6f7cCjUh9Q0UiD9qmZnCforjvYHar9rELrKaFhecjzsBTV0Ra6NAbmKcTUu6ABOVZS_VsVIHtKUC0DDhm4-Cd1AXdFdiGL8dxaZey4zjhMSIbTAOeeVo7Kl7&amp;c=NVfhHJ8rTkqI77Go48Rh5DPWtlNdinlD5n1HaWAoRztUvjxP71uMGw==&amp;ch=qa7ccVk-X6-mZp8eA5sNVFLTASGRnpZNVDao8EOspPKG-9pfSArSnQ==" target="_blank">Saline County&nbsp;COVID Information</a><a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ad3q5AQuQAx9RTb9d3tvdL7jFtrAy3PanAKWXDak6f7cCjUh9Q0UiIg1LdAOWLj9Ktl24Rv2jOeWmrx8FZ07uwJj6eZbgUMASChhsxIxWDqUHIRkouz0Skon2velZk8EPdyJcfdLjnqlhCmQNETSv8YOmF-Us5VYOqUccd5r9Bq5xgBxu24O2QyZb8oOhjNR&amp;c=NVfhHJ8rTkqI77Go48Rh5DPWtlNdinlD5n1HaWAoRztUvjxP71uMGw==&amp;ch=qa7ccVk-X6-mZp8eA5sNVFLTASGRnpZNVDao8EOspPKG-9pfSArSnQ==" target="_blank">Kansas&nbsp;COVID Overview</a><a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ad3q5AQuQAx9RTb9d3tvdL7jFtrAy3PanAKWXDak6f7cCjUh9Q0UiOuW7dBiesbGTx2ZVWBOM1ZkT_jfgUdiGRmaT0ARbC_VFeNnewzyY_vnKLp1Sv9xKjCIpOEb-Gi8R5YuZrnlAs0TBRjr54fGIV9Kpw94YCGOKxPF3Yjkf2yE09Gm0HnXl5j0JZQZM1zZ&amp;c=NVfhHJ8rTkqI77Go48Rh5DPWtlNdinlD5n1HaWAoRztUvjxP71uMGw==&amp;ch=qa7ccVk-X6-mZp8eA5sNVFLTASGRnpZNVDao8EOspPKG-9pfSArSnQ==" target="_blank">US COVID Data Tracker</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645664066369.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>COVID Vaccination Update for Saline County ●An additional 65 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 this week, an increase of .1 percent.●A total of 30,050 residents of Saline County have been vaccinated, accounting for 55.4 percent of the total population.<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ad3q5AQuQAx9RTb9d3tvdL7jFtrAy3PanAKWXDak6f7cCjUh9Q0UiMyPNYNJLjHXho2HGK1PfPb4mOrYGzFdvSMIEsJn-tLMtHpr80OnhgV_k5Tiob06RIwvC_P6ZhuKxN7MsnaJKxkqIQH1hmBljA==&amp;c=NVfhHJ8rTkqI77Go48Rh5DPWtlNdinlD5n1HaWAoRztUvjxP71uMGw==&amp;ch=qa7ccVk-X6-mZp8eA5sNVFLTASGRnpZNVDao8EOspPKG-9pfSArSnQ==" target="_blank">Vaccine Finder</a><a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ad3q5AQuQAx9RTb9d3tvdL7jFtrAy3PanAKWXDak6f7cCjUh9Q0UiEJ-3tPUam_er79HBKSPqotJHlCm-Bn7ol4nFVA3FP0Baq-GCZrQkmSB4I8wWCKlJhIwd4pZwSsR68FXFZJmmF8mW7K18k0EfGZJxcesWkv5t-BZ3uj2QeQ=&amp;c=NVfhHJ8rTkqI77Go48Rh5DPWtlNdinlD5n1HaWAoRztUvjxP71uMGw==&amp;ch=qa7ccVk-X6-mZp8eA5sNVFLTASGRnpZNVDao8EOspPKG-9pfSArSnQ==" target="_blank">Vaccinate Saline County</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643063989783.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The best way to stop the spread of COVID-19 and thus prevent mutation of the virus is:●Stay home&nbsp;if you are sick.●Get tested&nbsp;if you feel unwell, even if you don’t believe it is COVID.●Get vaccinated. You can find a vaccine at&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ad3q5AQuQAx9RTb9d3tvdL7jFtrAy3PanAKWXDak6f7cCjUh9Q0UiMyPNYNJLjHXho2HGK1PfPb4mOrYGzFdvSMIEsJn-tLMtHpr80OnhgV_k5Tiob06RIwvC_P6ZhuKxN7MsnaJKxkqIQH1hmBljA==&amp;c=NVfhHJ8rTkqI77Go48Rh5DPWtlNdinlD5n1HaWAoRztUvjxP71uMGw==&amp;ch=qa7ccVk-X6-mZp8eA5sNVFLTASGRnpZNVDao8EOspPKG-9pfSArSnQ==" target="_blank">vaccines.gov</a>&nbsp;or contact your local medical provider.●Wear a mask, especially if you are not fully vaccinated. If you are fully vaccinated, wear a mask when indoors in crowded spaces.●Maintain at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and those with whom you do not live.●Do not travel to&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ad3q5AQuQAx9RTb9d3tvdL7jFtrAy3PanAKWXDak6f7cCjUh9Q0UiMyPNYNJLjHXc-XVbV4jYm2tIgTrndyLU0G6BVFilaahOuZ2R5CbXP1YRmHt4QdnAplLtTSMqhxAVLGTs_kry8hwPCnBq5nkFyNdQwLxi7i7g_H63YPnQf5IBXjxvSjgZNFoMZJBwweIAnZJDLlrvKTxXVKU6TMCftp4sRPczdSH&amp;c=NVfhHJ8rTkqI77Go48Rh5DPWtlNdinlD5n1HaWAoRztUvjxP71uMGw==&amp;ch=qa7ccVk-X6-mZp8eA5sNVFLTASGRnpZNVDao8EOspPKG-9pfSArSnQ==" target="_blank">“hot spots."</a>●If you test positive, isolate immediately and be open and honest with COVID caseworkers about your contacts.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Saline County: 3 additional deaths; 13,909 of 14,222 recovered

Salina Regional Health Center has modified its COVID-19 visitor guidelines. From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SalinaRegionalHealthCenter">Salina Regional Health Center Facebook page</a>&nbsp;this morning:

Salina Regional Health Center is modifying its COVID-19 visitor guidelines due to improving numbers of COVID-19 infection in the community. Effective today, February 21, all hospital inpatients will be able to have two visitors at the same time. Visitors also will be able to alternate in and out of the facility throughout the day.

Visitors must come and go using the hospital’s main entrance between the hours of 5 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. weekdays, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Hospital inpatients had previously been allowed to have only one visitor per day.

All hospital outpatients and Salina SRHC-affiliated clinic patients will continue to only be allowed to have one visitor/assistant accompany them for their appointments. This includes Emergency Department patients and outpatients with appointments for surgery, lab, radiology, physical therapy, and other services and doctor’s visits. Pediatric patients will continue to be allowed to have two parents/caregivers accompany them for their appointments.

“We’ve seen a significant decrease in the number of daily positive cases for COVID-19 and are hopeful these trends will continue,” said Bethanie McDowell, infection prevention director at SRHC. “We will continue to monitor local COVID-19 infection rates and make changes to our policies as needed following state and federal guidelines.”

• Inpatient visitors may only enter the hospital Main Entrance between the hours of 5 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on weekdays, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

• Visitors are not allowed to access the main hospital through the Emergency Department entrance at any time.

• Visitors are welcome to stay as long as they like within routine hospital visiting hours.

• Visitors will be screened for COVID-19 risk and given an ID bracelet upon entry.

• Visitors must be age 18 or older.

• Visitors will be asked to wear a mask throughout the visit including in hallways, public areas and the patient’s room.

• Visitors should remain in the patient’s room as much as possible.

• NO VISITORS are permitted for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

Current visitation guidelines can be found at <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.srhc.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0GDGhZOA9IPKL95-axMAPsHk6kXQJ_Tp63VCLFTk37sY7xjwYTYD4RmgY&amp;h=AT1fu2H6KQunaD4PbxY7P7pMiAm8HRI6teoYjz-DIu9RAeEs24PDvWnNz_6oq9GwTG0fLcfiyXk8MNowzcPLsWCnzfldhZdTBeZMDq7zwQg8Kw4W2xOHCjNmVMu9hoz_gw&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT1UOF2uWkTPVsZ3yqehjcSj3tYeRdf4ElaDif6qTTi9XAE2AAmtazQBeFUqdgNWspPr1QClPkRQGRrj8KnbSlppi-qL9YbsO_DVzFHwowDIPJ6iJx52_adto0IKrRckCm76rp_kOFxjStwbn8CJuXwlewR-a5Mwu32ctiTB_-blM2U0fPrfnRE4MKGgk_mM-SApDUAQYUNf9w" target="_blank">www.srhc.com.</a>

Salina Regional Health Center has modified its COVID-19 visitor guidelines. From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SalinaRegionalHealthCenter">Salina Regional Health Center Facebook page</a>&nbsp;this morning:Salina Regional Health Center is modifying its COVID-19 visitor guidelines due to improving numbers of COVID-19 infection in the community. Effective today, February 21, all hospital inpatients will be able to have two visitors at the same time. Visitors also will be able to alternate in and out of the facility throughout the day.Visitors must come and go using the hospital’s main entrance between the hours of 5 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. weekdays, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Hospital inpatients had previously been allowed to have only one visitor per day. All hospital outpatients and Salina SRHC-affiliated clinic patients will continue to only be allowed to have one visitor/assistant accompany them for their appointments. This includes Emergency Department patients and outpatients with appointments for surgery, lab, radiology, physical therapy, and other services and doctor’s visits. Pediatric patients will continue to be allowed to have two parents/caregivers accompany them for their appointments. “We’ve seen a significant decrease in the number of daily positive cases for COVID-19 and are hopeful these trends will continue,” said Bethanie McDowell, infection prevention director at SRHC. “We will continue to monitor local COVID-19 infection rates and make changes to our policies as needed following state and federal guidelines.”• Inpatient visitors may only enter the hospital Main Entrance between the hours of 5 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on weekdays, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays.• Visitors are not allowed to access the main hospital through the Emergency Department entrance at any time.• Visitors are welcome to stay as long as they like within routine hospital visiting hours.• Visitors will be screened for COVID-19 risk and given an ID bracelet upon entry. • Visitors must be age 18 or older.• Visitors will be asked to wear a mask throughout the visit including in hallways, public areas and the patient’s room.• Visitors should remain in the patient’s room as much as possible.• NO VISITORS are permitted for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. Current visitation guidelines can be found at <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.srhc.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0GDGhZOA9IPKL95-axMAPsHk6kXQJ_Tp63VCLFTk37sY7xjwYTYD4RmgY&amp;h=AT1fu2H6KQunaD4PbxY7P7pMiAm8HRI6teoYjz-DIu9RAeEs24PDvWnNz_6oq9GwTG0fLcfiyXk8MNowzcPLsWCnzfldhZdTBeZMDq7zwQg8Kw4W2xOHCjNmVMu9hoz_gw&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT1UOF2uWkTPVsZ3yqehjcSj3tYeRdf4ElaDif6qTTi9XAE2AAmtazQBeFUqdgNWspPr1QClPkRQGRrj8KnbSlppi-qL9YbsO_DVzFHwowDIPJ6iJx52_adto0IKrRckCm76rp_kOFxjStwbn8CJuXwlewR-a5Mwu32ctiTB_-blM2U0fPrfnRE4MKGgk_mM-SApDUAQYUNf9w" target="_blank">www.srhc.com.</a>

Salina Regional Health Center modifies visitor guidelines

Following is the Saline County Health Department COVID-19 update for Friday.

Have you gotten robocalls, text messages, or emails offering COVID-19 tests in exchange for your Medicare Number? Be careful! Scammers are selling fake and unauthorized at-home COVID-19 test kits in exchange for your personal or medical information. Do not give out your Medicare Number for COVID-19 test kits!

Make sure to purchase FDA-approved COVID-19 test kits from legitimate providers. Over-the-counter or at-home tests are available for sale around the U.S. at many reputable and trustworthy retailers and pharmacies.

Remember, each household in the U.S. can also have four free COVID-19 at-home tests shipped directly to their home at no cost.

If you suspect fraud, call 1-800-MEDICARE to report it.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0018YLPxhNK-LYDyvGdUJVJ3-IvcDUEQHUrvodSEpevp8gGzRPvCKlt9HzJ5tGG169Y-dLg6pyyua9wNoTsf5o-4Zyki27oKi-XX3cKnfeq2OJzTI3jtw7LFwJO7wMmBMWS2AsEyKZU3p5nmS8PlD_YcQ==&amp;c=5Nk9rPpWqlz3c3JDQh3iJCDWrKiQ-DqSXghfgxAYTs4kNJHbu0f13Q==&amp;ch=Hz1GvAAJ2geQ8V-vGYBFX9qnDw83iEVATdMd6bmLgP7M5hMMkkpqow==" target="_blank">Order Free Test Kits</a>

<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0018YLPxhNK-LYDyvGdUJVJ3-IvcDUEQHUrvodSEpevp8gGzRPvCKlt9HAZFrTqiwtYu3eduahImtqm55uUOBSDvY0_kiPdpg5Q527UgYZLz9ytM9Ffvsc8uJ0hLxYbgw2qTdXq92BL-K8yNEPdciE3dD-ajHNS6fkjyTN2pDnQcoyEBZR1cw2YxLCyVd9fOxVvZgII4ion9DNFVgBhpeVu_SxrI3adheGJKJtVrGo-3LzMMcLNmESoFNkaiddo1vF3BY4HC4Hs15Iv9NVJRAt0P74YE0Zk99LVbMo-hmRVa96U2Fpft-GQ_I3YIvd58riTYCtX9lIg4oInWSH6CuEOih_bv1B7f4Lw3ET7nYmNCFuZa1T6CIz3UvHhszqX0QwSmZVygeqduwHMDZGxVnj3D-Z6nQI8mIY5TVJHROj0Y3V9INlf9h7COoCphce8s9aryCd20kKnd1k=&amp;c=5Nk9rPpWqlz3c3JDQh3iJCDWrKiQ-DqSXghfgxAYTs4kNJHbu0f13Q==&amp;ch=Hz1GvAAJ2geQ8V-vGYBFX9qnDw83iEVATdMd6bmLgP7M5hMMkkpqow==" target="_blank">Learn More</a>

Another member of our community has lost their life to COVID-19 since our last update on Wednesday, bringing the total number of lives lost in Saline County to 207.

The Salina Regional Health Center reports that there are currently 18 patients hospitalized battling COVID-19.

Another 17 positive COVID-19 test results have been reported to the Saline County Health Department since Wednesday. It is important to note, that this does not include home test kits or those who are presumed positive and do not test.

There are 134 known active cases of COVID-19.

All new cases are now being handled by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.&nbsp;&nbsp;

We are reducing the frequency of our COVID public reporting - and here's why

Beginning the week of February 21, the Saline County Health Department will reduce the frequency of our "COVID by The Numbers" report to once per week.

COVID-19 was first reported in our county almost two years ago. Since the pandemic began much of our staffing, time, and resources have been diverted to combat the pandemic. Unfortunately, many long-standing and valuable programs provided by the Health Department have not received the attention they merit during that time. On this front, we intend to focus more of our energies to re-establish and strengthen non-COVID related public health programs.

Thankfully, reliable at-home testing has become ubiquitous in recent months offering the general public easy access to their COVID status. As at-home testing does not get reported to state or local authorities and it is not reflected in our data points. Additionally, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has taken over all new COVID case investigations.

Our intention is to give the public actionable data that you can use to make decisions and determinations in your personal health. Reducing this report to once a week, rather than three times a week will continue to give the community the information needed to make these decisions but also allow the Health Department staff to prioritize other health initiatives.

You can continue to find updated COVID information and data points on the websites below.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0018YLPxhNK-LYDyvGdUJVJ3-IvcDUEQHUrvodSEpevp8gGzRPvCKlt9Gr-TI9qWhfcbK4-bK-ZoRMtpgU9BLD2YYhIHZCnc2VoxOnr0lTzwdwxYPnNbv4ErO6qrSYt5pqed0ufMIRBS00rjMOqHU15MswSDK3GpGoV3EojyK0rY9M3mALPtSyExczhprWsMzKc&amp;c=5Nk9rPpWqlz3c3JDQh3iJCDWrKiQ-DqSXghfgxAYTs4kNJHbu0f13Q==&amp;ch=Hz1GvAAJ2geQ8V-vGYBFX9qnDw83iEVATdMd6bmLgP7M5hMMkkpqow==" target="_blank">KDHE&nbsp;COVID Overview</a>

<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0018YLPxhNK-LYDyvGdUJVJ3-IvcDUEQHUrvodSEpevp8gGzRPvCKlt9LSDTQfxw1ViS5TIj5uJoRKWQidN_mpBHTCRdhLRompR5p_Un5yxfCSCMZBR8J0H-fIVEFF7t1twbq6o46woCfvc_Ad_r2dP1Cn0V_RrAYzR&amp;c=5Nk9rPpWqlz3c3JDQh3iJCDWrKiQ-DqSXghfgxAYTs4kNJHbu0f13Q==&amp;ch=Hz1GvAAJ2geQ8V-vGYBFX9qnDw83iEVATdMd6bmLgP7M5hMMkkpqow==" target="_blank">Saline County COVID-19 Information</a>

Following is the Saline County Health Department COVID-19 update for Friday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645223823975.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Have you gotten robocalls, text messages, or emails offering COVID-19 tests in exchange for your Medicare Number? Be careful! Scammers are selling fake and unauthorized at-home COVID-19 test kits in exchange for your personal or medical information. Do not give out your Medicare Number for COVID-19 test kits! Make sure to purchase FDA-approved COVID-19 test kits from legitimate providers. Over-the-counter or at-home tests are available for sale around the U.S. at many reputable and trustworthy retailers and pharmacies. Remember, each household in the U.S. can also have four free COVID-19 at-home tests shipped directly to their home at no cost. If you suspect fraud, call 1-800-MEDICARE to report it.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0018YLPxhNK-LYDyvGdUJVJ3-IvcDUEQHUrvodSEpevp8gGzRPvCKlt9HzJ5tGG169Y-dLg6pyyua9wNoTsf5o-4Zyki27oKi-XX3cKnfeq2OJzTI3jtw7LFwJO7wMmBMWS2AsEyKZU3p5nmS8PlD_YcQ==&amp;c=5Nk9rPpWqlz3c3JDQh3iJCDWrKiQ-DqSXghfgxAYTs4kNJHbu0f13Q==&amp;ch=Hz1GvAAJ2geQ8V-vGYBFX9qnDw83iEVATdMd6bmLgP7M5hMMkkpqow==" target="_blank">Order Free Test Kits</a><a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0018YLPxhNK-LYDyvGdUJVJ3-IvcDUEQHUrvodSEpevp8gGzRPvCKlt9HAZFrTqiwtYu3eduahImtqm55uUOBSDvY0_kiPdpg5Q527UgYZLz9ytM9Ffvsc8uJ0hLxYbgw2qTdXq92BL-K8yNEPdciE3dD-ajHNS6fkjyTN2pDnQcoyEBZR1cw2YxLCyVd9fOxVvZgII4ion9DNFVgBhpeVu_SxrI3adheGJKJtVrGo-3LzMMcLNmESoFNkaiddo1vF3BY4HC4Hs15Iv9NVJRAt0P74YE0Zk99LVbMo-hmRVa96U2Fpft-GQ_I3YIvd58riTYCtX9lIg4oInWSH6CuEOih_bv1B7f4Lw3ET7nYmNCFuZa1T6CIz3UvHhszqX0QwSmZVygeqduwHMDZGxVnj3D-Z6nQI8mIY5TVJHROj0Y3V9INlf9h7COoCphce8s9aryCd20kKnd1k=&amp;c=5Nk9rPpWqlz3c3JDQh3iJCDWrKiQ-DqSXghfgxAYTs4kNJHbu0f13Q==&amp;ch=Hz1GvAAJ2geQ8V-vGYBFX9qnDw83iEVATdMd6bmLgP7M5hMMkkpqow==" target="_blank">Learn More</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1645224067114.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Another member of our community has lost their life to COVID-19 since our last update on Wednesday, bringing the total number of lives lost in Saline County to 207. The Salina Regional Health Center reports that there are currently 18 patients hospitalized battling COVID-19. Another 17 positive COVID-19 test results have been reported to the Saline County Health Department since Wednesday. It is important to note, that this does not include home test kits or those who are presumed positive and do not test. There are 134 known active cases of COVID-19. All new cases are now being handled by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.&nbsp;&nbsp;We are reducing the frequency of our COVID public reporting - and here's whyBeginning the week of February 21, the Saline County Health Department will reduce the frequency of our "COVID by The Numbers" report to once per week. COVID-19 was first reported in our county almost two years ago. Since the pandemic began much of our staffing, time, and resources have been diverted to combat the pandemic. Unfortunately, many long-standing and valuable programs provided by the Health Department have not received the attention they merit during that time. On this front, we intend to focus more of our energies to re-establish and strengthen non-COVID related public health programs. Thankfully, reliable at-home testing has become ubiquitous in recent months offering the general public easy access to their COVID status. As at-home testing does not get reported to state or local authorities and it is not reflected in our data points. Additionally, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has taken over all new COVID case investigations. Our intention is to give the public actionable data that you can use to make decisions and determinations in your personal health. Reducing this report to once a week, rather than three times a week will continue to give the community the information needed to make these decisions but also allow the Health Department staff to prioritize other health initiatives. You can continue to find updated COVID information and data points on the websites below.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0018YLPxhNK-LYDyvGdUJVJ3-IvcDUEQHUrvodSEpevp8gGzRPvCKlt9Gr-TI9qWhfcbK4-bK-ZoRMtpgU9BLD2YYhIHZCnc2VoxOnr0lTzwdwxYPnNbv4ErO6qrSYt5pqed0ufMIRBS00rjMOqHU15MswSDK3GpGoV3EojyK0rY9M3mALPtSyExczhprWsMzKc&amp;c=5Nk9rPpWqlz3c3JDQh3iJCDWrKiQ-DqSXghfgxAYTs4kNJHbu0f13Q==&amp;ch=Hz1GvAAJ2geQ8V-vGYBFX9qnDw83iEVATdMd6bmLgP7M5hMMkkpqow==" target="_blank">KDHE&nbsp;COVID Overview</a><a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0018YLPxhNK-LYDyvGdUJVJ3-IvcDUEQHUrvodSEpevp8gGzRPvCKlt9LSDTQfxw1ViS5TIj5uJoRKWQidN_mpBHTCRdhLRompR5p_Un5yxfCSCMZBR8J0H-fIVEFF7t1twbq6o46woCfvc_Ad_r2dP1Cn0V_RrAYzR&amp;c=5Nk9rPpWqlz3c3JDQh3iJCDWrKiQ-DqSXghfgxAYTs4kNJHbu0f13Q==&amp;ch=Hz1GvAAJ2geQ8V-vGYBFX9qnDw83iEVATdMd6bmLgP7M5hMMkkpqow==" target="_blank">Saline County COVID-19 Information</a><a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0018YLPxhNK-LYDyvGdUJVJ3-IvcDUEQHUrvodSEpevp8gGzRPvCKlt9GU5TL8Naee3imrkKYhzqGLChS3YcIZPGBBCAOwmr1LnQm7IGOBjXQd4TzKIgd-csBI3kDuu12HmWj-BnZWaPNyYkPikQ9KS7yjar0prF_k-KDDLunqfpTG5zsr0ZUOUKXavf6-71N6W&amp;c=5Nk9rPpWqlz3c3JDQh3iJCDWrKiQ-DqSXghfgxAYTs4kNJHbu0f13Q==&amp;ch=Hz1GvAAJ2geQ8V-vGYBFX9qnDw83iEVATdMd6bmLgP7M5hMMkkpqow==" target="_blank">CDC&nbsp;COVID Data&nbsp;Tracker</a>

Coronavirus Update