Johnson &amp; Johnson is beginning a huge final study to try to prove if a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine can protect against the virus.

The study starting Wednesday will be one of the world's largest coronavirus vaccine studies so far, testing the shot in 60,000 volunteers in the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

A handful of other vaccines in the U.S. — including shots made by Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. — and others in other countries are already in final-stage testing. Hopes are high that answers about at least one candidate being tested in the U.S. could come by year's end, maybe sooner.

U.S. health officials insist the race for a vaccine isn't cutting corners.

“We want to do everything we can without sacrificing safety or efficacy — we’re not going to do that — to make sure that we end up with vaccines that are going to save lives,” Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told reporters.

But many vaccine specialists question whether the Food and Drug Administration will stick to that goal under intense pressure from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has consistently presented a faster timeline for a new vaccine than experts say is adequate to fully test the candidates.

Meanwhile, testing of still another experimental vaccine, made by AstraZeneca, remains on hold in the U.S. as officials examine a safety question, even though studies have resumed in other countries.

Earlier this week, Vice President Mike Pence urged state governors to "do your part to build public confidence that it will be a safe and effective vaccine.”

And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, added in the call to governors that he is confident in “a tried and true process” that has checks and balances built in, including an independent board evaluating the progress of each vaccine trial, as well as “the integrity of the FDA.”

A recording of the call was provided to The Associated Press.

Senators were scheduled to question FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, Fauci and other administration officials later Wednesday about the pandemic response.

Even if the FDA were to allow emergency use of a vaccine by year's end, supplies would be limited and given first to vulnerable groups such as health workers. Most Americans aren't likely to receive a vaccine until sometime next year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants states to get ready now to roll out vaccinations, which will present enormous logistical challenges. On Wednesday the CDC was set to announce distribution of $200 million in congressionally approved funds to help begin setting up operations.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the COVID-19 vaccine campaign will build on longstanding cooperation between the federal government and the states on immunizations.

J&amp;J's vaccine is made with slightly different technology than others in late-stage testing, modeled on an Ebola vaccine the company created. Unlike the other three vaccines that started late-stage testing in the U.S., it requires only one shot, not two. Despite a later start to testing than some of its competitors, Dr. Paul Stoffels, J&amp;J's chief scientific officer, told reporters that the study was large enough to yield answers possibly by early next year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600861747887.png" alt="Vaccine photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson" />
 <figcaption>Vaccine photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson</figcaption>
 </figure>By LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated PressJohnson &amp; Johnson is beginning a huge final study to try to prove if a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine can protect against the virus.The study starting Wednesday will be one of the world's largest coronavirus vaccine studies so far, testing the shot in 60,000 volunteers in the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.A handful of other vaccines in the U.S. — including shots made by Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. — and others in other countries are already in final-stage testing. Hopes are high that answers about at least one candidate being tested in the U.S. could come by year's end, maybe sooner.U.S. health officials insist the race for a vaccine isn't cutting corners.“We want to do everything we can without sacrificing safety or efficacy — we’re not going to do that — to make sure that we end up with vaccines that are going to save lives,” Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told reporters.But many vaccine specialists question whether the Food and Drug Administration will stick to that goal under intense pressure from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has consistently presented a faster timeline for a new vaccine than experts say is adequate to fully test the candidates.Meanwhile, testing of still another experimental vaccine, made by AstraZeneca, remains on hold in the U.S. as officials examine a safety question, even though studies have resumed in other countries.Earlier this week, Vice President Mike Pence urged state governors to "do your part to build public confidence that it will be a safe and effective vaccine.”And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, added in the call to governors that he is confident in “a tried and true process” that has checks and balances built in, including an independent board evaluating the progress of each vaccine trial, as well as “the integrity of the FDA.”A recording of the call was provided to The Associated Press.Senators were scheduled to question FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, Fauci and other administration officials later Wednesday about the pandemic response.Even if the FDA were to allow emergency use of a vaccine by year's end, supplies would be limited and given first to vulnerable groups such as health workers. Most Americans aren't likely to receive a vaccine until sometime next year.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants states to get ready now to roll out vaccinations, which will present enormous logistical challenges. On Wednesday the CDC was set to announce distribution of $200 million in congressionally approved funds to help begin setting up operations.Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the COVID-19 vaccine campaign will build on longstanding cooperation between the federal government and the states on immunizations.J&amp;J's vaccine is made with slightly different technology than others in late-stage testing, modeled on an Ebola vaccine the company created. Unlike the other three vaccines that started late-stage testing in the U.S., it requires only one shot, not two. Despite a later start to testing than some of its competitors, Dr. Paul Stoffels, J&amp;J's chief scientific officer, told reporters that the study was large enough to yield answers possibly by early next year.___

Late-stage study of first single-shot vaccine begins in US

Saline County Commissioners this morning took no action to rescind the mask mandate, thus keeping the mandate in place for at least two more weeks.

Jason Tiller, health department director, provided an update on the COVID-19 situation in Saline County as part of the bi-weekly review of the mask mandate resolution, according to information provided by Saline County. Tiller told the commissioners that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increased by 123 since the last review two weeks prior. Additionally, there were two additional deaths during that time period, he said.

Tiller told the commissioners that community spread of COVID-19 is now prevalent and he stressed the need for people to remain vigilant as the pandemic is not yet over. Wearing masks, practicing social distancing, avoiding large gatherings, and staying home when sick are proven methods that individuals need to continue to practice to keep children in school and businesses operational, he said. 

At the conclusion of Tiller's presentation, the county commissioners took no action to rescind the mask mandate.

Additionally, Tiller told the commissioners that the health department's annual flu shot clinic for persons ages 19 and older is scheduled for Oct. 14 at the 4-H Building in Kenwood Park. It will be a drive-thru clinic only, he said.

Commissioners also voted to approve signing a contract with Motorola for a new emergency radio communications system in Saline County. According to information from the county, "staff has worked over the past few weeks to allocate costs between the city and county with the county taking the bulk of the costs associated with the backbone infrastructure and needed radios for the county public safety agencies and the city taking the costs associated directly with the 911 dispatch center and their public safety agency radio costs." 

The total cost for the infrastructure and radios for the county is $8,010,654.62, the county noted. There also are yearly costs for maintenance of the system over 15 years and other subscription services that make the total cost of the contract $10,962,757.10 for Saline County. 

According to the county, "This project will replace the antiquated emergency radio communications system with a modern system that is capable of growth, upgraded technology, and interoperability to serve Salina and Saline County for many years. Because this system will utilize existing infrastructure and coverage from the State of Kansas KSICS radio system, an expedited build out will occur and Salina/Saline County Public Safety agencies will be operational with a new system in 8 months, with the full build out to be completed by February 2022."

Other commission business conducted today, according to information provided by the county, includes the following.

Phillip Smith-Hanes, County Administrator, presented the commission with agreements with subrecipients for the Coronavirus Relief Funds. These agreements are with the agencies and organizations that will receive funds through the direct aid plan. Of particular note and discussion was the agreement with the Chamber Foundation, as their agreement was modified slightly when it came to the agreement that the county hold the Foundation harmless for up to 50% of any judgement or penalty assessed against the Foundation in the event the program is found to have been in violation of federal rules. The Chamber Foundation is slated to receive the largest single distribution of the funds, $2,713,313.71 or 24.7% of the total amount. Their focus will be on providing funds to for-profit businesses in the county who experienced business interruption due to COVID-19 and meet eligibility criteria. The Chamber Foundation has also committed to contact those businesses who applied to the county for funds back in July. Commissioners approved the memoranda and exhibits, 3-1. 

Commissioners heard four requests from Annie Grevas, community corrections director. The first request was the approval of the FY20 Year End Outcomes Report which covers the goals that the agency worked towards throughout the fiscal year. Their efforts included partnering with providers in the community for childcare and wellness checks for clients, increased successful client completions, and tracking data for dispositional departures that are supervised by community corrections. The other three items were department budget related where commissioners were asked to approve an adjustment to the 4th Quarter FY20 budget that simply moves funds from different line items into others but does not affect the bottom line. The other two budget items were asking Commissioners to approve the FY21 Adult and Juvenile carryover reimbursement budgets. Commissioners voted to approve all four requests.

Commissioners approved for several items from the Road and Bridge Department to be declared no value and sold on Purple Wave. Any proceeds from the sale of these items will be deposited into the road and bridge special equipment fund.

Justin Mader, county engineer, presented the commission with a request that came from landowners to improve access to agriculture property on McReynolds Road. This particular section of the road has three different locations where Dry Creek crosses the road. It is the recommendation of the county engineer to explore further building 2,300 feet of a new earth road that would bend in the channel to allow for access to the agricultural land. It is estimated to cost between $75,000 and $125,000. Commissioners heard from the landowners and provided consensus to Mader to move forward with the necessary reviews and studies to determine costs.

Grevas provided a department update for March through September 2020. Grevas reported on the several grants that were submitted, the effects of COVID-19 on their operations, and the UpTrust platform that the department will be implementing very soon. This platform will provide push notifications to clients to remind them of court dates and appointments. It will also allow Central Kansas Foundation the ability to notify clients and their supervision officer of appointments or non-compliance. This platform is secure and compliant with HIPAA. Coronavirus Relief Funds were secured by community corrections to implement this platform.

Smith-Hanes provided his weekly update, reporting on the next steps for the formation of the Public Building Commission for the finance funding for the emergency radio communications project. A resolution will be provided to the commission next week and Smith-Hanes asked commissioners to begin thinking about who they would like to appoint to this commission. Smith-Hanes also reported that in the approval of accounts payable that commissioners signed, was the first distributions for the direct aid plan to agencies. A dashboard has been put on the Coronavirus Relief Fund portion of the website for citizens to track to see where the county is at on distributions of the coronavirus relief dollars. Access the dashboard here: https://www.saline.org/Coronavirus/CRF-Funding. 

Jamie Doss, county clerk, reminded commissioners and the public that today is National Voter Registration Day. She encouraged citizens to check their voter registration to ensure that it is correct and also encouraged those who are not registered to vote to do so. Citizens can check their registration status at www.voteks.org or contact the clerk’s office. The last day to register to vote in the November election is Oct. 13.

Saline County Commissioners this morning took no action to rescind the mask mandate, thus keeping the mandate in place for at least two more weeks.Jason Tiller, health department director, provided an update on the COVID-19 situation in Saline County as part of the bi-weekly review of the mask mandate resolution, according to information provided by Saline County. Tiller told the commissioners that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increased by 123 since the last review two weeks prior. Additionally, there were two additional deaths during that time period, he said.Tiller told the commissioners that community spread of COVID-19 is now prevalent and he stressed the need for people to remain vigilant as the pandemic is not yet over. Wearing masks, practicing social distancing, avoiding large gatherings, and staying home when sick are proven methods that individuals need to continue to practice to keep children in school and businesses operational, he said. At the conclusion of Tiller's presentation, the county commissioners took no action to rescind the mask mandate.Additionally, Tiller told the commissioners that the health department's annual flu shot clinic for persons ages 19 and older is scheduled for Oct. 14 at the 4-H Building in Kenwood Park. It will be a drive-thru clinic only, he said.Commissioners also voted to approve signing a contract with Motorola for a new emergency radio communications system in Saline County. According to information from the county, "staff has worked over the past few weeks to allocate costs between the city and county with the county taking the bulk of the costs associated with the backbone infrastructure and needed radios for the county public safety agencies and the city taking the costs associated directly with the 911 dispatch center and their public safety agency radio costs." The total cost for the infrastructure and radios for the county is $8,010,654.62, the county noted. There also are yearly costs for maintenance of the system over 15 years and other subscription services that make the total cost of the contract $10,962,757.10 for Saline County. According to the county, "This project will replace the antiquated emergency radio communications system with a modern system that is capable of growth, upgraded technology, and interoperability to serve Salina and Saline County for many years. Because this system will utilize existing infrastructure and coverage from the State of Kansas KSICS radio system, an expedited build out will occur and Salina/Saline County Public Safety agencies will be operational with a new system in 8 months, with the full build out to be completed by February 2022."Other commission business conducted today, according to information provided by the county, includes the following.Phillip Smith-Hanes, County Administrator, presented the commission with agreements with subrecipients for the Coronavirus Relief Funds. These agreements are with the agencies and organizations that will receive funds through the direct aid plan. Of particular note and discussion was the agreement with the Chamber Foundation, as their agreement was modified slightly when it came to the agreement that the county hold the Foundation harmless for up to 50% of any judgement or penalty assessed against the Foundation in the event the program is found to have been in violation of federal rules. The Chamber Foundation is slated to receive the largest single distribution of the funds, $2,713,313.71 or 24.7% of the total amount. Their focus will be on providing funds to for-profit businesses in the county who experienced business interruption due to COVID-19 and meet eligibility criteria. The Chamber Foundation has also committed to contact those businesses who applied to the county for funds back in July. Commissioners approved the memoranda and exhibits, 3-1. Commissioners heard four requests from Annie Grevas, community corrections director. The first request was the approval of the FY20 Year End Outcomes Report which covers the goals that the agency worked towards throughout the fiscal year. Their efforts included partnering with providers in the community for childcare and wellness checks for clients, increased successful client completions, and tracking data for dispositional departures that are supervised by community corrections. The other three items were department budget related where commissioners were asked to approve an adjustment to the 4th Quarter FY20 budget that simply moves funds from different line items into others but does not affect the bottom line. The other two budget items were asking Commissioners to approve the FY21 Adult and Juvenile carryover reimbursement budgets. Commissioners voted to approve all four requests.Commissioners approved for several items from the Road and Bridge Department to be declared no value and sold on Purple Wave. Any proceeds from the sale of these items will be deposited into the road and bridge special equipment fund.Justin Mader, county engineer, presented the commission with a request that came from landowners to improve access to agriculture property on McReynolds Road. This particular section of the road has three different locations where Dry Creek crosses the road. It is the recommendation of the county engineer to explore further building 2,300 feet of a new earth road that would bend in the channel to allow for access to the agricultural land. It is estimated to cost between $75,000 and $125,000. Commissioners heard from the landowners and provided consensus to Mader to move forward with the necessary reviews and studies to determine costs.Grevas provided a department update for March through September 2020. Grevas reported on the several grants that were submitted, the effects of COVID-19 on their operations, and the UpTrust platform that the department will be implementing very soon. This platform will provide push notifications to clients to remind them of court dates and appointments. It will also allow Central Kansas Foundation the ability to notify clients and their supervision officer of appointments or non-compliance. This platform is secure and compliant with HIPAA. Coronavirus Relief Funds were secured by community corrections to implement this platform.Smith-Hanes provided his weekly update, reporting on the next steps for the formation of the Public Building Commission for the finance funding for the emergency radio communications project. A resolution will be provided to the commission next week and Smith-Hanes asked commissioners to begin thinking about who they would like to appoint to this commission. Smith-Hanes also reported that in the approval of accounts payable that commissioners signed, was the first distributions for the direct aid plan to agencies. A dashboard has been put on the Coronavirus Relief Fund portion of the website for citizens to track to see where the county is at on distributions of the coronavirus relief dollars. Access the dashboard here: https://www.saline.org/Coronavirus/CRF-Funding. Jamie Doss, county clerk, reminded commissioners and the public that today is National Voter Registration Day. She encouraged citizens to check their voter registration to ensure that it is correct and also encouraged those who are not registered to vote to do so. Citizens can check their registration status at www.voteks.org or contact the clerk’s office. The last day to register to vote in the November election is Oct. 13.

County continues mask mandate for at least two more weeks

ABILENE -- The Abilene City Commission is scheduled to consider enacting a mask/face covering ordinance during a special meeting on Wednesday.

The meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday in the Abilene Public Library, 209 Northwest Fourth Street. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to social distance, the city is encouraging residents to view "all meetings virtually on the live streamed City of Abilene's YouTube page at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNURrU0ueP6_dRpHYu1wJEg">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNURrU0ueP6_dRpHYu1wJEg</a>," according to a notice on the agenda for the special meeting.

According to the meeting agenda, the ordinance, if approved, would require the wearing of face masks or other face coverings in public spaces within the city limits of Abilene.

ABILENE -- The Abilene City Commission is scheduled to consider enacting a mask/face covering ordinance during a special meeting on Wednesday.The meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday in the Abilene Public Library, 209 Northwest Fourth Street. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to social distance, the city is encouraging residents to view "all meetings virtually on the live streamed City of Abilene's YouTube page at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNURrU0ueP6_dRpHYu1wJEg">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNURrU0ueP6_dRpHYu1wJEg</a>," according to a notice on the agenda for the special meeting.According to the meeting agenda, the ordinance, if approved, would require the wearing of face masks or other face coverings in public spaces within the city limits of Abilene.

Abilene City Commission to consider mask ordinance

TOPEKA (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Monday she is increasingly concerned the state does not have the infrastructure and policies in place to stop a continuing increase in confirmed cases of the coronavirus

On Monday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 53,959 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 600 deaths since the pandemic began. That’s an increase of 1,674 cases and four deaths over the weekend.

The governor said the state has consistently confirmed an average of about 500 new cases per day in the recent weeks, particularly as schools are reopening, sports have resumed and flu season is quickly approaching.

“We knew this was coming, we knew we could prepare for it but because we failed to implement a coherent, coordinated mask policy, because we have taken an ineffective, patchwork approach to our COVID-19 response, cases and deaths continue to rise,” she said.

Early in the pandemic, Kelly issued statewide mandates to wear masks and close some businesses but the GOP-led Legislature pushed back and passed a law that requires a Republican-majority council to approve the governor’s emergency executive orders. That led to allowing counties to decide individually if they would follow the orders.

That lack of a coherent, statewide response to the coronavirus — along with Kansas Republican leaders’ refusal to expand Medicaid — endangers residents’ lives and is a factor that companies consider when deciding whether to move to Kansas, she said.

“We must provide prospective employers with certainty that their employees and their families will have access to affordable health care,” she said. “Our state path to economic growth is dependent upon healthy Kansans.”

The county health department said the positive case involved a person at Timber Creek Elementary School in the Blue Valley district, but they did not say if a student or staff member was infected.

In Johnson County, health officials urged more than 100 people who had contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 at an elementary school in Overland Park to quarantine for 14 days, but some parents are objecting to the recommendation.

The department sent a letter Saturday to Blue Valley Superintendent Tonya Merrigan, urging affected individuals to abide by the quarantine.

Sanmi Areola, county health director, said on Monday that the 14-day quarantine is the appropriate action to contain the spread, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article245891520.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.

Elementary students returned to a mix of remote and in-person schooling in Blue Valley on Sept. 9. The district currently plans to bring elementary students back to in-person classes full time on Oct. 5.

Several parents who want to return now to full-time, in-person classes protested at the school Sunday. Christine White, a pediatrician who has frequently called for schools to reopen, hosted the rally.

She said in a Facebook post that the quarantine was a “massive overreaction.”

“Please understand that if we let this action by the health department and school go unchecked and we let them slide, then they will know we have a breaking point where we will just lay down and accept the crumbs of an education for our children,” she wrote.

TOPEKA (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Monday she is increasingly concerned the state does not have the infrastructure and policies in place to stop a continuing increase in confirmed cases of the coronavirus<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F375702983819963%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>On Monday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 53,959 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 600 deaths since the pandemic began. That’s an increase of 1,674 cases and four deaths over the weekend.The governor said the state has consistently confirmed an average of about 500 new cases per day in the recent weeks, particularly as schools are reopening, sports have resumed and flu season is quickly approaching.“We knew this was coming, we knew we could prepare for it but because we failed to implement a coherent, coordinated mask policy, because we have taken an ineffective, patchwork approach to our COVID-19 response, cases and deaths continue to rise,” she said.Early in the pandemic, Kelly issued statewide mandates to wear masks and close some businesses but the GOP-led Legislature pushed back and passed a law that requires a Republican-majority council to approve the governor’s emergency executive orders. That led to allowing counties to decide individually if they would follow the orders.That lack of a coherent, statewide response to the coronavirus — along with Kansas Republican leaders’ refusal to expand Medicaid — endangers residents’ lives and is a factor that companies consider when deciding whether to move to Kansas, she said.“We must provide prospective employers with certainty that their employees and their families will have access to affordable health care,” she said. “Our state path to economic growth is dependent upon healthy Kansans.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600708052188.png" alt="Sept. 21, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Sept. 21, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>The county health department said the positive case involved a person at Timber Creek Elementary School in the Blue Valley district, but they did not say if a student or staff member was infected.In Johnson County, health officials urged more than 100 people who had contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 at an elementary school in Overland Park to quarantine for 14 days, but some parents are objecting to the recommendation.The department sent a letter Saturday to Blue Valley Superintendent Tonya Merrigan, urging affected individuals to abide by the quarantine.Sanmi Areola, county health director, said on Monday that the 14-day quarantine is the appropriate action to contain the spread, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article245891520.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.Elementary students returned to a mix of remote and in-person schooling in Blue Valley on Sept. 9. The district currently plans to bring elementary students back to in-person classes full time on Oct. 5.Several parents who want to return now to full-time, in-person classes protested at the school Sunday. Christine White, a pediatrician who has frequently called for schools to reopen, hosted the rally.She said in a Facebook post that the quarantine was a “massive overreaction.”“Please understand that if we let this action by the health department and school go unchecked and we let them slide, then they will know we have a breaking point where we will just lay down and accept the crumbs of an education for our children,” she wrote.----------

🎥  Governor concerned about state's response to coronavirus

NEW YORK (AP) — The top U.S. public health agency stirred confusion by posting — and then taking down — an apparent change in its position on how easily the coronavirus can spread from person to person through the air.

But officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say their position has not really changed and that the post last week on the agency’s website was an error that has been taken down.

It was “an honest mistake” that happened when a draft update was posted before going through a full editing and approval process, said Dr. Jay Butler, the CDC’s deputy director for infectious diseases.

The post suggested that the agency believes the virus can hang in the air and spread over an extended distance. But the agency continues to believe larger and heavier droplets that come from coughing or sneezing are the primary means of transmission, Butler said.

Most CDC guidance about social distancing is built around that idea, saying that about 6 feet is a safe buffer between people who are not wearing masks.

In interviews, CDC officials have acknowledged growing evidence that the virus can sometimes be transmitted on even smaller, aerosolized particles or droplets that spread over a wider area. Certain case clusters have been tied to events in which the virus appeared to have spread through the air in, for example, a choir practice. But such incidents did not appear to be common.

Public health experts urge people to wear masks, which can stop or reduce contact with both larger droplets and aerosolized particles.

But for months, agency officials said little about aerosolized particles. So when the CDC quietly posted an update Friday that discussed the particles in more detail, the agency’s position appeared to have changed. The post said the virus can remain suspended in the air and drift more than 6 feet. It also emphasized the importance of indoor ventilation and seemed to describe the coronavirus as the kind of germ that can spread widely through the air.

The post caused widespread discussion in public health circles because of its implications. It could mean, for example, that hospitals might have to place infected people in rooms that are specially designed to prevent air from flowing to other parts of the hospital.

But the CDC is not advising any changes in how far people stay away from each other, how they are housed at hospitals or other measures, Butler said.

The CDC has come under attack for past revisions of guidance during the pandemic, some of which were driven by political pressure by the Trump administration.

Butler said there was no external political pressure behind the change in this instance. “This was an internal issue,. And we’re working hard to address it and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.

In a statement released Monday, the CDC said the revisions to the “How COVID-19 Spreads” page happened “without appropriate in-house technical review.”

“We are reviewing our process and tightening criteria for review of all guidance and updates before they are posted to the CDC website,” the statement said.

At least one expert said the episode could further chip away at public confidence in the CDC.

“The consistent inconsistency in this administration’s guidance on COVID-19 has severely compromised the nation’s trust in our public health agencies,” said Dr. Howard Koh, a Harvard University public health professor who was a high-ranking official in the Department of Health and Human Services during the Obama administration.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600453488360.png" alt="CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield during testimony before a congressional committee last week in Washington -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield during testimony before a congressional committee last week in Washington -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The top U.S. public health agency stirred confusion by posting — and then taking down — an apparent change in its position on how easily the coronavirus can spread from person to person through the air.But officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say their position has not really changed and that the post last week on the agency’s website was an error that has been taken down.It was “an honest mistake” that happened when a draft update was posted before going through a full editing and approval process, said Dr. Jay Butler, the CDC’s deputy director for infectious diseases.The post suggested that the agency believes the virus can hang in the air and spread over an extended distance. But the agency continues to believe larger and heavier droplets that come from coughing or sneezing are the primary means of transmission, Butler said.Most CDC guidance about social distancing is built around that idea, saying that about 6 feet is a safe buffer between people who are not wearing masks.In interviews, CDC officials have acknowledged growing evidence that the virus can sometimes be transmitted on even smaller, aerosolized particles or droplets that spread over a wider area. Certain case clusters have been tied to events in which the virus appeared to have spread through the air in, for example, a choir practice. But such incidents did not appear to be common.Public health experts urge people to wear masks, which can stop or reduce contact with both larger droplets and aerosolized particles.But for months, agency officials said little about aerosolized particles. So when the CDC quietly posted an update Friday that discussed the particles in more detail, the agency’s position appeared to have changed. The post said the virus can remain suspended in the air and drift more than 6 feet. It also emphasized the importance of indoor ventilation and seemed to describe the coronavirus as the kind of germ that can spread widely through the air.The post caused widespread discussion in public health circles because of its implications. It could mean, for example, that hospitals might have to place infected people in rooms that are specially designed to prevent air from flowing to other parts of the hospital.But the CDC is not advising any changes in how far people stay away from each other, how they are housed at hospitals or other measures, Butler said.The CDC has come under attack for past revisions of guidance during the pandemic, some of which were driven by political pressure by the Trump administration.Butler said there was no external political pressure behind the change in this instance. “This was an internal issue,. And we’re working hard to address it and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.In a statement released Monday, the CDC said the revisions to the “How COVID-19 Spreads” page happened “without appropriate in-house technical review.”“We are reviewing our process and tightening criteria for review of all guidance and updates before they are posted to the CDC website,” the statement said.At least one expert said the episode could further chip away at public confidence in the CDC.“The consistent inconsistency in this administration’s guidance on COVID-19 has severely compromised the nation’s trust in our public health agencies,” said Dr. Howard Koh, a Harvard University public health professor who was a high-ranking official in the Department of Health and Human Services during the Obama administration.

CDC changes, then retracts, web posting on how virus spreads

Salina USD 305 today announced another confirmed case of COVID-19 at one of its schools. This time, it was at Salina South High School.

Since Sept. 3, when the district began posting information about USD 305 students or staff members who tested positive for COVID-19, nine cases have been reported. 

In a notification to parents/guardians of Salina South students, Dr. Charles Kipp, principal, wrote, "Today, the Saline County Health Department notified Salina USD 305 of a positive COVID-19 test at South High School. The Saline County Health Department is contacting anyone who needs to be notified. The intent of this letter is to ensure clear communication with South High School families."

Kipp continued, "it is very important that if anyone is not feeling well, they not come to school."

Kipp reminded those reading his notice that "individuals who test positive for COVID-19 will not return to school or activities until released by the Saline County Health Department."

To access USD 305's reported COVID-19 incidents, <a href="https://www.usd305.com/covid-19_incidents">click here</a>.

Salina USD 305 today announced another confirmed case of COVID-19 at one of its schools. This time, it was at Salina South High School.Since Sept. 3, when the district began posting information about USD 305 students or staff members who tested positive for COVID-19, nine cases have been reported. In a notification to parents/guardians of Salina South students, Dr. Charles Kipp, principal, wrote, "Today, the Saline County Health Department notified Salina USD 305 of a positive COVID-19 test at South High School. The Saline County Health Department is contacting anyone who needs to be notified. The intent of this letter is to ensure clear communication with South High School families."Kipp continued, "it is very important that if anyone is not feeling well, they not come to school."Kipp reminded those reading his notice that "individuals who test positive for COVID-19 will not return to school or activities until released by the Saline County Health Department."To access USD 305's reported COVID-19 incidents, <a href="https://www.usd305.com/covid-19_incidents">click here</a>.

USD 305 reports ninth COVID-19 case Monday

ABILENE -- Abilene USD 435 today announced that the district is switching to remote learning for all students beginning Tuesday due to COVID-19 concerns.

In a notice to parents/guardians, USD 435 Superintendent Greg Brown wrote, "Please understand this is absolutely the last thing we want to do. We understand how important it is to have our students in school, receiving a first-rate educational experience, but COVID-19 has struck our teachers and support staff significantly. We have four (4) adults who have already tested positive and (4) more not feeling well, who are being tested as I speak. The combination of adults who have tested positive and the related quarantine orders have made it necessary to take this measure. We hope to be back in school on Monday, October 5th. During the next two weeks, we will be looking at other measures to provide the face to face instruction we know our community desires in spite of the increased COVID-19 testing results."

Additionally, all extra-curricular activities, including practices and competitions, have been suspended until at least Oct. 5, according to a notice to parents/guardians from Abilene High School Athletic Director Will Burton and Abilene Middle School Athletic Director Derek Berns.

"Again, this decision was not made lightly and has been made because of the number of adults in our system who have been affected by Coronavirus. One of our primary goals for taking care of your children is keeping them safe, while we are providing a world-class educational experience. We simply are not able to do this with face to face instruction at this time," Brown reiterated.

ABILENE -- Abilene USD 435 today announced that the district is switching to remote learning for all students beginning Tuesday due to COVID-19 concerns.In a notice to parents/guardians, USD 435 Superintendent Greg Brown wrote, "Please understand this is absolutely the last thing we want to do. We understand how important it is to have our students in school, receiving a first-rate educational experience, but COVID-19 has struck our teachers and support staff significantly. We have four (4) adults who have already tested positive and (4) more not feeling well, who are being tested as I speak. The combination of adults who have tested positive and the related quarantine orders have made it necessary to take this measure. We hope to be back in school on Monday, October 5th. During the next two weeks, we will be looking at other measures to provide the face to face instruction we know our community desires in spite of the increased COVID-19 testing results."Additionally, all extra-curricular activities, including practices and competitions, have been suspended until at least Oct. 5, according to a notice to parents/guardians from Abilene High School Athletic Director Will Burton and Abilene Middle School Athletic Director Derek Berns."Again, this decision was not made lightly and has been made because of the number of adults in our system who have been affected by Coronavirus. One of our primary goals for taking care of your children is keeping them safe, while we are providing a world-class educational experience. We simply are not able to do this with face to face instruction at this time," Brown reiterated.

Abilene USD 435 goes to remote learning due to COVID-19 concerns

Following is the Saline County COVID-19 update for Monday.

We are saddened to have to report two additional COVID-19 deaths in our community. Hospitalizations are on the rise with Salina Regional Health Center reporting that they have 9 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Salina Regional is a regional hospital, the COVID-19 patient total is not specific to the number of Saline County residents who may be hospitalized.

There are 30 new positive COVID-19 cases in Saline County that have been identified since the Friday, September 18 report. The total for the county is now 662, with 174 cases that are actively being monitored by the Health Department, 477 that have recovered, and a total of 11 deaths. Our dashboard has been updated with the latest information:

●Mobile Device Users: <a href="https://arcg.is/yjPT1">https://arcg.is/yjPT1</a>

●Desktop Users: <a href="https://arcg.is/1qHnb0">https://arcg.is/1qHnb0</a>

According to the Kansas Department of Health &amp; Environment, there are now 53,959 cases and 600 deaths statewide. This information can be found at <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/">https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/</a>.

Community spread of COVID-19 in Saline County has been confirmed. Multiple cases cannot be directly traced back to a known exposure with a positive case or related to travel. It is important for everyone to practice social distancing (staying at least 6 feet away from other people), wearing masks in public settings, washing your hands frequently, staying home if you are ill, and not sending your children to school or daycare if they are ill.

Here is what you can do to help us to stop the spread:

●Stay home if you have any symptoms or are ill

●Wear masks in public spaces as required by City Ordinance and County Resolution

●Maximize physical distance (6 feet or more) in public settings

●Avoid socializing with large groups

●High-risk individuals should only leave the house for essential needs

Only follow official sources to obtain information: <a href="http://www.saline.org/coronavirus">www.saline.org/coronavirus</a> or <a href="http://www.kdheks.gov">www.kdheks.gov</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600722692165.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Following is the Saline County COVID-19 update for Monday.We are saddened to have to report two additional COVID-19 deaths in our community. Hospitalizations are on the rise with Salina Regional Health Center reporting that they have 9 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Salina Regional is a regional hospital, the COVID-19 patient total is not specific to the number of Saline County residents who may be hospitalized.There are 30 new positive COVID-19 cases in Saline County that have been identified since the Friday, September 18 report. The total for the county is now 662, with 174 cases that are actively being monitored by the Health Department, 477 that have recovered, and a total of 11 deaths. Our dashboard has been updated with the latest information:●Mobile Device Users: <a href="https://arcg.is/yjPT1">https://arcg.is/yjPT1</a>●Desktop Users: <a href="https://arcg.is/1qHnb0">https://arcg.is/1qHnb0</a>According to the Kansas Department of Health &amp; Environment, there are now 53,959 cases and 600 deaths statewide. This information can be found at <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/">https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/</a>.Community spread of COVID-19 in Saline County has been confirmed. Multiple cases cannot be directly traced back to a known exposure with a positive case or related to travel. It is important for everyone to practice social distancing (staying at least 6 feet away from other people), wearing masks in public settings, washing your hands frequently, staying home if you are ill, and not sending your children to school or daycare if they are ill.Here is what you can do to help us to stop the spread:●Stay home if you have any symptoms or are ill●Wear masks in public spaces as required by City Ordinance and County Resolution●Maximize physical distance (6 feet or more) in public settings●Avoid socializing with large groups●High-risk individuals should only leave the house for essential needs●Wash your hands frequentlyOnly follow official sources to obtain information: <a href="http://www.saline.org/coronavirus">www.saline.org/coronavirus</a> or <a href="http://www.kdheks.gov">www.kdheks.gov</a>.

Saline County: 30 new COVID-19 cases; 2 additional deaths

MCPHERSON -- The McPherson County Health Department today reported four additional confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the county total to 256.

Information about the newest cases, as provided by the health department, is as follows.

●Positive case No. 253 is a symptomatic male in his 80s with known exposure to a local assisted living facility outbreak.

●Positive case No. 254 is a symptomatic female in her 20s with known exposure to a local assisted living facility outbreak.

●Positive case No. 255 is an asymptomatic male in his 40s with unknown exposure at this time.

●Positive case No. 256 is a symptomatic 18-year-old female with known exposure to a local assisted living facility outbreak.

Of the 256 total confirmed cases in McPherson County, 247 have met Kansas Department of Health and Environment recovery guidelines and two of the active cases are hospitalized, the health department noted.

MCPHERSON -- The McPherson County Health Department today reported four additional confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the county total to 256.Information about the newest cases, as provided by the health department, is as follows.Cases identified Saturday●Positive case No. 253 is a symptomatic male in his 80s with known exposure to a local assisted living facility outbreak.●Positive case No. 254 is a symptomatic female in her 20s with known exposure to a local assisted living facility outbreak.●Positive case No. 255 is an asymptomatic male in his 40s with unknown exposure at this time.Case identified Monday●Positive case No. 256 is a symptomatic 18-year-old female with known exposure to a local assisted living facility outbreak.Of the 256 total confirmed cases in McPherson County, 247 have met Kansas Department of Health and Environment recovery guidelines and two of the active cases are hospitalized, the health department noted.

McPherson reports 4 new COVID-19 cases; 247 of 256 recovered

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

Community spread of COVID-19 in Saline County has been confirmed.&nbsp; Multiple cases identified over the last few days cannot be directly traced back to a known exposure with a positive case or related to travel.&nbsp; It is important for everyone to practice social distancing (staying at least 6 feet away from other people), wearing masks in public settings, washing your hands frequently, staying home if you are ill, and not sending your children to school or daycare if they are ill.

There are 22 new positive COVID-19 cases in Saline County that have been identified since the Wednesday, September 16 report.&nbsp; The total for the county is now 632, with 146 cases that are actively being monitored by the Health Department, 477 that have recovered, and a total of 9 deaths.&nbsp; Salina Regional Health Center reports that they have 4 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.&nbsp; Our dashboard has been updated with the latest information:

●Mobile Device Users:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://arcg.is/yjPT1">https://arcg.is/yjPT1</a>

●Desktop Users:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://arcg.is/1qHnb0">https://arcg.is/1qHnb0</a>

According to the Kansas Department of Health &amp; Environment, there are now 52,285 cases and 596 deaths statewide. This information can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/" target="_blank">https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/</a>.&nbsp;

●Stay home if you have any symptoms or are ill.

●Wear masks in public spaces as required by City Ordinance and County Resolution.

●Maximize physical distance (6 feet or more) in public settings.

●Avoid socializing with large groups.

●High-risk individuals should only leave the house for essential needs.

Only follow official sources to obtain information:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.saline.org/coronavirus" target="_blank">www.saline.org/coronavirus</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kdheks.gov/" target="_blank">www.kdheks.gov</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600466961143.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Following is the Saline County COVID-19 update for Friday.Community spread of COVID-19 in Saline County has been confirmed.&nbsp; Multiple cases identified over the last few days cannot be directly traced back to a known exposure with a positive case or related to travel.&nbsp; It is important for everyone to practice social distancing (staying at least 6 feet away from other people), wearing masks in public settings, washing your hands frequently, staying home if you are ill, and not sending your children to school or daycare if they are ill.There are 22 new positive COVID-19 cases in Saline County that have been identified since the Wednesday, September 16 report.&nbsp; The total for the county is now 632, with 146 cases that are actively being monitored by the Health Department, 477 that have recovered, and a total of 9 deaths.&nbsp; Salina Regional Health Center reports that they have 4 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.&nbsp; Our dashboard has been updated with the latest information:●Mobile Device Users:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://arcg.is/yjPT1">https://arcg.is/yjPT1</a>●Desktop Users:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://arcg.is/1qHnb0">https://arcg.is/1qHnb0</a>According to the Kansas Department of Health &amp; Environment, there are now 52,285 cases and 596 deaths statewide. This information can be found at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/" target="_blank">https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/</a>.&nbsp;Here is what you can do to help us to stop the spread:●Stay home if you have any symptoms or are ill. ●Wear masks in public spaces as required by City Ordinance and County Resolution. ●Maximize physical distance (6 feet or more) in public settings. ●Avoid socializing with large groups. ●High-risk individuals should only leave the house for essential needs. ●Wash your hands frequentlyOnly follow official sources to obtain information:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.saline.org/coronavirus" target="_blank">www.saline.org/coronavirus</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kdheks.gov/" target="_blank">www.kdheks.gov</a>.

Saline County: COVID-19 community spread confirmed; 22 new cases

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials on Friday dropped a controversial piece of coronavirus guidance and said anyone who has been in close contact with an infected person should get tested.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention essentially returned to its previous testing guidance, getting rid of language&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d36e698786f971658301d2cf4f83ad61">posted last month</a>&nbsp;that said people didn’t need to get tested if they didn’t feel sick. That change had set off a rash of criticism from health experts who couldn’t fathom why the nation’s top public health agency would say such a thing amid the pandemic.

It was “not consistent with the basic principles of controlling an epidemic,”said Dr. Silvia Chiang, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at Brown University who applauded the change announced Friday.

The CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/testing-overview.html" target="_blank">now says</a>&nbsp;anyone who has been within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes should get a test. In a statement, the agency called the changes a “clarification” that was needed “due to the significance of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission.”

Agency officials declined additional comment.

Health officials were evasive about why they had made the change in August, and some outside observers speculated it was forced on the CDC by political appointees within the Trump administration.

At the time, administration officials said the language originated at the CDC but the decision came out of meetings of the White House coronavirus task force. Dr. Brett Giroir, an assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, said many federal leaders outside the agency were involved in “lots of editing, lots of input.” He said it was difficult to attribute the final language to any one source.

The New York Times, citing internal federal documents and unnamed sources, on Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/17/health/coronavirus-testing-cdc.html" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;that the guidance was placed on the CDC’s website over the objections of agency scientists.

Public health experts have noted that testing the contacts of infected people is a core element of efforts to keep outbreaks in check, and that a large percentage of those infected with the coronavirus exhibit no COVID-19 symptoms.

The CDC’s chief, Dr. Robert Redfield, issued a statement shortly after the controversy erupted that did little to clarify why the change was deemed necessary. The main intent seemed to be to assure state health officials that they could continue to recommend that all close contacts be tested if they felt that was wisest, despite the website language that said it was not necessary.

During a U.S. Senate hearing on Wednesday, Redfield continued to defend the language that was dropped Friday. He said the August changes had been “misinterpreted” and were part of an effort to increase engagement by doctors and local health officials in the handling of potential illness clusters.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600453488360.png" alt="CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield during Senate testimony this week-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield during Senate testimony this week-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials on Friday dropped a controversial piece of coronavirus guidance and said anyone who has been in close contact with an infected person should get tested.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention essentially returned to its previous testing guidance, getting rid of language&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d36e698786f971658301d2cf4f83ad61">posted last month</a>&nbsp;that said people didn’t need to get tested if they didn’t feel sick. That change had set off a rash of criticism from health experts who couldn’t fathom why the nation’s top public health agency would say such a thing amid the pandemic.It was “not consistent with the basic principles of controlling an epidemic,”said Dr. Silvia Chiang, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at Brown University who applauded the change announced Friday.The CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/testing-overview.html" target="_blank">now says</a>&nbsp;anyone who has been within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes should get a test. In a statement, the agency called the changes a “clarification” that was needed “due to the significance of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission.”Agency officials declined additional comment.Health officials were evasive about why they had made the change in August, and some outside observers speculated it was forced on the CDC by political appointees within the Trump administration.At the time, administration officials said the language originated at the CDC but the decision came out of meetings of the White House coronavirus task force. Dr. Brett Giroir, an assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, said many federal leaders outside the agency were involved in “lots of editing, lots of input.” He said it was difficult to attribute the final language to any one source.The New York Times, citing internal federal documents and unnamed sources, on Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/17/health/coronavirus-testing-cdc.html" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;that the guidance was placed on the CDC’s website over the objections of agency scientists.Public health experts have noted that testing the contacts of infected people is a core element of efforts to keep outbreaks in check, and that a large percentage of those infected with the coronavirus exhibit no COVID-19 symptoms.The CDC’s chief, Dr. Robert Redfield, issued a statement shortly after the controversy erupted that did little to clarify why the change was deemed necessary. The main intent seemed to be to assure state health officials that they could continue to recommend that all close contacts be tested if they felt that was wisest, despite the website language that said it was not necessary.During a U.S. Senate hearing on Wednesday, Redfield continued to defend the language that was dropped Friday. He said the August changes had been “misinterpreted” and were part of an effort to increase engagement by doctors and local health officials in the handling of potential illness clusters.

CDC drops controversial virus testing advice that caused backlash

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials are considering spending $50 million to dramatically ramp up testing of people who aren't showing obvious signs of the coronavirus.

A state task force this week backed Kansas Health Secretary Lee Norman’s recommendation to use the federal stimulus money on testing at schools, workplaces and other sites. The goal is to catch coronavirus in people who haven’t even realized they’re carrying it, KCUR&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-09-11/how-kansas-could-spend-tens-of-millions-to-test-asymptomatic-people-for-coronavirus">reports.</a>

Some of the testing would be done at Wichita State University, where a new not-for-profit lab is gearing up to churn out hundreds of thousands of tests by the end of the year.

“I know that sounds like a lot,” said Tonya Witherspoon, Wichita State’s vice president of industry engagement, “but we think several labs in the state need to be able to do that much — or more.”

Kansas has so far focused most of its energy on people who know either that they are ill or that they have had direct exposure to a confirmed outbreak. But experts say positivity rates should drop when a state or city goes beyond testing these groups of people who are most likely to be sick.

Right now, about 15% of Kansans who get the test find out they have COVID-19. By Johns Hopkins University’s calculations, that puts it among the states with the highest rates of new positives.

On Wednesday, Kansas health officials reported 971 new cases since Monday, for a total of 50,870 across the state. Kansas also had 52 new deaths, raising that number to 586 since the pandemic began.

Norman said at a news conference that 37 of the new deaths were added through a review of death certificates. But that still meant 15 had occurred since Monday, a higher than normal number.

“We are getting to a very sensitive point in time as we talked about during Labor Day with universities, colleges and schools starting back again, athletics those sorts of things,” Norman said. “People are starting to mass gather again in ways that we didn’t see as much of over the summer when people were more dispersed out. As the overall number count goes up, we are going to have more deaths.”

The positive cases include 841 at the University of Kansas, where house parties near campus are raising alarms.

After a debate during the Lawrence City Commission meeting Tuesday, a majority of the commissioners said they were interested in at least considering an ordinance that would make it a municipal offense to violate local health orders designed to stem the spread of the coronavirus, the Lawrence Journal-World&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.ljworld.com/news/city-government/2020/sep/16/city-leaders-express-interest-in-creating-ordinance-that-would-make-disregarding-health-orders-a-municipal-offense/">reports</a>.

City Attorney Toni Wheeler said the offense would be a misdemeanor that could be prosecuted in municipal court. Violators could face a fine of no more than $500, up to 30 days in jail or both.

However, Vice Mayor Brad Finkeldei and Mayor Jennifer Ananda said they were not sure that creating a municipal ordinance would be the best approach, and that perhaps stronger disciplinary action from the university, such as bans from campus, mandatory quarantines or suspensions, would be more effective.

Meanwhile, Gov. Laura Kelly hosted a discussion with rural hospital administrators on Wednesday where she urged them to “exert pressure” on lawmakers to support a proposal to expand Medicaid in Kansas.

In the discussion, Harold Courtois, CEO for the Memorial Health System in Abilene, said his organization is worried about running out of personal protective equipment, particularly medical N95 respirators, known as N95 masks, ahead of the flu season.

“My fear is that during the influenza season, where everybody appears to have COVID -- whether it’s influenza or not -- PPE is going to become scarce and be very difficult to acquire again,” Courtois said. “It just doesn’t seem like we see a lot of PPE unless you’re willing to pay enormous prices. There’s still price gouging going on every week

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600340563243.png" alt="KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman during his press conference on Wednesday" />
 <figcaption>KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman during his press conference on Wednesday</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials are considering spending $50 million to dramatically ramp up testing of people who aren't showing obvious signs of the coronavirus.A state task force this week backed Kansas Health Secretary Lee Norman’s recommendation to use the federal stimulus money on testing at schools, workplaces and other sites. The goal is to catch coronavirus in people who haven’t even realized they’re carrying it, KCUR&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-09-11/how-kansas-could-spend-tens-of-millions-to-test-asymptomatic-people-for-coronavirus">reports.</a>Some of the testing would be done at Wichita State University, where a new not-for-profit lab is gearing up to churn out hundreds of thousands of tests by the end of the year.“I know that sounds like a lot,” said Tonya Witherspoon, Wichita State’s vice president of industry engagement, “but we think several labs in the state need to be able to do that much — or more.”Kansas has so far focused most of its energy on people who know either that they are ill or that they have had direct exposure to a confirmed outbreak. But experts say positivity rates should drop when a state or city goes beyond testing these groups of people who are most likely to be sick.Right now, about 15% of Kansans who get the test find out they have COVID-19. By Johns Hopkins University’s calculations, that puts it among the states with the highest rates of new positives.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600277925237.png" alt="Sept. 16, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Sept. 16, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>On Wednesday, Kansas health officials reported 971 new cases since Monday, for a total of 50,870 across the state. Kansas also had 52 new deaths, raising that number to 586 since the pandemic began.Norman said at a news conference that 37 of the new deaths were added through a review of death certificates. But that still meant 15 had occurred since Monday, a higher than normal number.“We are getting to a very sensitive point in time as we talked about during Labor Day with universities, colleges and schools starting back again, athletics those sorts of things,” Norman said. “People are starting to mass gather again in ways that we didn’t see as much of over the summer when people were more dispersed out. As the overall number count goes up, we are going to have more deaths.”The positive cases include 841 at the University of Kansas, where house parties near campus are raising alarms.After a debate during the Lawrence City Commission meeting Tuesday, a majority of the commissioners said they were interested in at least considering an ordinance that would make it a municipal offense to violate local health orders designed to stem the spread of the coronavirus, the Lawrence Journal-World&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.ljworld.com/news/city-government/2020/sep/16/city-leaders-express-interest-in-creating-ordinance-that-would-make-disregarding-health-orders-a-municipal-offense/">reports</a>.City Attorney Toni Wheeler said the offense would be a misdemeanor that could be prosecuted in municipal court. Violators could face a fine of no more than $500, up to 30 days in jail or both.However, Vice Mayor Brad Finkeldei and Mayor Jennifer Ananda said they were not sure that creating a municipal ordinance would be the best approach, and that perhaps stronger disciplinary action from the university, such as bans from campus, mandatory quarantines or suspensions, would be more effective.Meanwhile, Gov. Laura Kelly hosted a discussion with rural hospital administrators on Wednesday where she urged them to “exert pressure” on lawmakers to support a proposal to expand Medicaid in Kansas.In the discussion, Harold Courtois, CEO for the Memorial Health System in Abilene, said his organization is worried about running out of personal protective equipment, particularly medical N95 respirators, known as N95 masks, ahead of the flu season.“My fear is that during the influenza season, where everybody appears to have COVID -- whether it’s influenza or not -- PPE is going to become scarce and be very difficult to acquire again,” Courtois said. “It just doesn’t seem like we see a lot of PPE unless you’re willing to pay enormous prices. There’s still price gouging going on every week

Plan calls for more testing of Kansans without virus symptoms

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government outlined a sweeping plan Wednesday to make vaccines for COVID-19 available for free to all Americans, assuming a safe and effective shot is developed, even as top health officials faced questions about political interference with virus information reaching the public.

In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/strategy-for-distributing-covid-19-vaccine.pdf" target="_blank">report to Congress</a>&nbsp;and an accompanying&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-managers/downloads/COVID-19-Vaccination-Program-Interim_Playbook.pdf" target="_blank">“playbook” for states and localities,</a>&nbsp;federal health agencies and the Defense Department sketched out complex plans for a vaccination campaign to begin gradually in January or even late this year, eventually ramping up to reach any American who wants a shot. The Pentagon would be involved with the distribution of vaccines, but civilian health workers would be the ones giving shots.

The whole enterprise faces remaining skepticism. Only about half of Americans said they’d get vaccinated in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/dacdc8bc428dd4df6511bfa259cfec44">an Associated Press-NORC poll taken in May.&nbsp;</a>Since then, questions have only mounted about whether the government is trying to rush treatments and vaccines to help President Donald Trump’s reelection chances.

On Wednesday, the Health and Human Services Department announced that political appointee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bc1d25c72728fce624831e523e7fc678">Michael Caputo would take a leave of absence</a>. The news followed revelations that the senior communications official had tried to gain editorial control over scientific publications on COVID-19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which he contended were hurting the Trump administration.

The director of the CDC, Dr. Robert Redfield, responding Wednesday before Senate lawmakers, rejected questions over whether the government’s timeline for states to be ready for a vaccine by Nov. 1 was politically motivated.

Redfield told the Senate Appropriations Committee that the “scientific integrity” of his agency’s output “has not been compromised and it will not be compromised under my watch.”

He said he was “deeply saddened” by Caputo’s accusations that CDC staff were working as a “resistance unit” against the administration.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the committee’s top Democrat, said political interference had damaged public trust in the government’s health information .

“The Trump administration needs to leave the science to the scientists immediately,” Murray said.

Although Trump asserted Tuesday that a vaccine could be three to four weeks away, Redfield, made clear to Congress that any version available this year would be in “very limited supply.” The shot wouldn’t be broadly available to most of the U.S. population until the summer of 2021, he estimated.

Trump’s press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, quickly repeated the president’s version at the White House: “We do believe that it will be widely available by the end of the year.”

As for the planned vaccine campaign, the CDC playbook for states says it is “much larger in scope and complexity than seasonal influenza or other previous outbreak-related vaccination responses.” Redfield said that his agency will be working with state health officials to execute the vaccination plan in coming days.

— For most vaccines, people will need two doses, 21 to 28 days apart. Double-dose vaccines will have to come from the same drugmaker. There could be several vaccines from different manufacturers approved and available.

— Vaccination of the U.S. population won’t be a sprint but a marathon. Initially there may be a limited supply of vaccines, and the focus will be on protecting health workers, other essential employees, and people in vulnerable groups. “Early in (the) COVID-19 vaccination program there may be a limited supply of vaccine and vaccine efforts may focus on those critical to the response, providing direct care and maintaining societal functions, as well as those at highest risk for developing severe illness,” Redfield said. A second and third phase would expand vaccination to the entire population.

— The vaccine itself will be free of charge, thanks to billions of dollars in taxpayer funding approved by Congress and allocated by the Trump administration. The goal is that patients won’t be separately charged for administration of their shots, and officials say they are working to ensure that’s the case for all Medicare recipients and uninsured people as well those covered by insurance at their jobs.

— States and local communities will need to devise precise plans for receiving and locally distributing vaccines, some of which will require special handling such as refrigeration or freezing. States and cities have a month to submit plans.

— A massive information technology effort will be needed to track who is getting which vaccines and when, and the key challenge involves getting multiple public and private databases to link with each other.

Some of the broad components of the federal plan have already been discussed, but Wednesday’s reports attempt to put the key details into a comprehensive framework. Distribution is under the umbrella of Operation Warp Speed, a White House-backed initiative to have vaccines ready to ship in 24 hours from when a version is given emergency use approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Several formulations are undergoing final trials.

However, public skepticism remains. Of the Americans who said in the May AP poll that they wouldn’t get vaccinated, the overwhelming majority said they were worried about safety. To effectively protect the nation from the coronavirus, experts say 70% to 90% of Americans must either be vaccinated or have their own immunity from fighting off COVID-19.

Before the Republican National Convention in August, the FDA granted authorization for treatment of COVID-19 patients with plasma from people who have recovered, even though some government scientists were not convinced the clinical evidence was sufficiently strong.

As public confidence in health agencies has taken a beating, Trump administration officials have been forced to play defense.

“We are working closely with our state and local public health partners ... to ensure that Americans can receive the vaccine as soon as possible and vaccinate with confidence,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement Wednesday. “Americans should know that the vaccine development process is being driven completely by science and the data.”

That could be a tough sell. In the AP poll, 1 in 5 Americans said they would not get a coronavirus vaccine, and 31% said they were unsure.

“We’re dealing in a world of great uncertainty,” said Paul Mango, a top HHS official working on the vaccine plan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600265279122.png" alt="Photo courtesy AstraZeneca" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy AstraZeneca</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The government outlined a sweeping plan Wednesday to make vaccines for COVID-19 available for free to all Americans, assuming a safe and effective shot is developed, even as top health officials faced questions about political interference with virus information reaching the public.In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/strategy-for-distributing-covid-19-vaccine.pdf" target="_blank">report to Congress</a>&nbsp;and an accompanying&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-managers/downloads/COVID-19-Vaccination-Program-Interim_Playbook.pdf" target="_blank">“playbook” for states and localities,</a>&nbsp;federal health agencies and the Defense Department sketched out complex plans for a vaccination campaign to begin gradually in January or even late this year, eventually ramping up to reach any American who wants a shot. The Pentagon would be involved with the distribution of vaccines, but civilian health workers would be the ones giving shots.The whole enterprise faces remaining skepticism. Only about half of Americans said they’d get vaccinated in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/dacdc8bc428dd4df6511bfa259cfec44">an Associated Press-NORC poll taken in May.&nbsp;</a>Since then, questions have only mounted about whether the government is trying to rush treatments and vaccines to help President Donald Trump’s reelection chances.On Wednesday, the Health and Human Services Department announced that political appointee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bc1d25c72728fce624831e523e7fc678">Michael Caputo would take a leave of absence</a>. The news followed revelations that the senior communications official had tried to gain editorial control over scientific publications on COVID-19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which he contended were hurting the Trump administration.The director of the CDC, Dr. Robert Redfield, responding Wednesday before Senate lawmakers, rejected questions over whether the government’s timeline for states to be ready for a vaccine by Nov. 1 was politically motivated.Redfield told the Senate Appropriations Committee that the “scientific integrity” of his agency’s output “has not been compromised and it will not be compromised under my watch.”He said he was “deeply saddened” by Caputo’s accusations that CDC staff were working as a “resistance unit” against the administration.Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the committee’s top Democrat, said political interference had damaged public trust in the government’s health information .“The Trump administration needs to leave the science to the scientists immediately,” Murray said.Although Trump asserted Tuesday that a vaccine could be three to four weeks away, Redfield, made clear to Congress that any version available this year would be in “very limited supply.” The shot wouldn’t be broadly available to most of the U.S. population until the summer of 2021, he estimated.Trump’s press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, quickly repeated the president’s version at the White House: “We do believe that it will be widely available by the end of the year.”As for the planned vaccine campaign, the CDC playbook for states says it is “much larger in scope and complexity than seasonal influenza or other previous outbreak-related vaccination responses.” Redfield said that his agency will be working with state health officials to execute the vaccination plan in coming days.Among the highlights of the plan:— For most vaccines, people will need two doses, 21 to 28 days apart. Double-dose vaccines will have to come from the same drugmaker. There could be several vaccines from different manufacturers approved and available.— Vaccination of the U.S. population won’t be a sprint but a marathon. Initially there may be a limited supply of vaccines, and the focus will be on protecting health workers, other essential employees, and people in vulnerable groups. “Early in (the) COVID-19 vaccination program there may be a limited supply of vaccine and vaccine efforts may focus on those critical to the response, providing direct care and maintaining societal functions, as well as those at highest risk for developing severe illness,” Redfield said. A second and third phase would expand vaccination to the entire population.— The vaccine itself will be free of charge, thanks to billions of dollars in taxpayer funding approved by Congress and allocated by the Trump administration. The goal is that patients won’t be separately charged for administration of their shots, and officials say they are working to ensure that’s the case for all Medicare recipients and uninsured people as well those covered by insurance at their jobs.— States and local communities will need to devise precise plans for receiving and locally distributing vaccines, some of which will require special handling such as refrigeration or freezing. States and cities have a month to submit plans.— A massive information technology effort will be needed to track who is getting which vaccines and when, and the key challenge involves getting multiple public and private databases to link with each other.Some of the broad components of the federal plan have already been discussed, but Wednesday’s reports attempt to put the key details into a comprehensive framework. Distribution is under the umbrella of Operation Warp Speed, a White House-backed initiative to have vaccines ready to ship in 24 hours from when a version is given emergency use approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Several formulations are undergoing final trials.However, public skepticism remains. Of the Americans who said in the May AP poll that they wouldn’t get vaccinated, the overwhelming majority said they were worried about safety. To effectively protect the nation from the coronavirus, experts say 70% to 90% of Americans must either be vaccinated or have their own immunity from fighting off COVID-19.Before the Republican National Convention in August, the FDA granted authorization for treatment of COVID-19 patients with plasma from people who have recovered, even though some government scientists were not convinced the clinical evidence was sufficiently strong.As public confidence in health agencies has taken a beating, Trump administration officials have been forced to play defense.“We are working closely with our state and local public health partners ... to ensure that Americans can receive the vaccine as soon as possible and vaccinate with confidence,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement Wednesday. “Americans should know that the vaccine development process is being driven completely by science and the data.”That could be a tough sell. In the AP poll, 1 in 5 Americans said they would not get a coronavirus vaccine, and 31% said they were unsure.“We’re dealing in a world of great uncertainty,” said Paul Mango, a top HHS official working on the vaccine plan.

US outlines sweeping plan to provide free COVID-19 vaccines

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

Over the last week, we have seen large increases in the number of cases each day. These cases are ones that are from all types of exposures from gatherings, sports, educational facilities, travel outside of Saline County, as well as private businesses. We live in such a mobile and social society that when individuals do not take the necessary precautions to protect themselves, they also risk exposing others. We all have a responsibility to protect our families and community. Masks are just one part of the message to help slow the spread. Wash your hands, stay home if you are sick, avoid large gatherings, wear masks in public settings, practice social distancing.

There are 27 new positive COVID-19 cases in Saline County that have been identified since the Monday, September 14 report. The total for the county is now 610, with 124 cases that are actively being monitored by the Health Department, 477 that have recovered, and a total of 9 deaths. Salina Regional Health Center reports that they have 4 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Our dashboard has been updated with the latest information:

• Mobile Device Users: <a href="https://arcg.is/yjPT1">https://arcg.is/yjPT1</a>

• Desktop Users: <a href="https://arcg.is/1qHnb0">https://arcg.is/1qHnb0</a>

According to the Kansas Department of Health &amp; Environment, there are now 50,870 cases and 586 deaths statewide. This information can be found at <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/">https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/</a>.

• Stay home if you have any symptoms or are ill

• Wear masks in public spaces as required by City Ordinance and County Resolution

• Maximize physical distance (6 feet or more) in public settings

• Avoid socializing with large groups

• High-risk individuals should only leave the house for essential needs

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600294084481.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Following is the Saline County COVID-19 update for Wednesday.Over the last week, we have seen large increases in the number of cases each day. These cases are ones that are from all types of exposures from gatherings, sports, educational facilities, travel outside of Saline County, as well as private businesses. We live in such a mobile and social society that when individuals do not take the necessary precautions to protect themselves, they also risk exposing others. We all have a responsibility to protect our families and community. Masks are just one part of the message to help slow the spread. Wash your hands, stay home if you are sick, avoid large gatherings, wear masks in public settings, practice social distancing.There are 27 new positive COVID-19 cases in Saline County that have been identified since the Monday, September 14 report. The total for the county is now 610, with 124 cases that are actively being monitored by the Health Department, 477 that have recovered, and a total of 9 deaths. Salina Regional Health Center reports that they have 4 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Our dashboard has been updated with the latest information:• Mobile Device Users: <a href="https://arcg.is/yjPT1">https://arcg.is/yjPT1</a>• Desktop Users: <a href="https://arcg.is/1qHnb0">https://arcg.is/1qHnb0</a>According to the Kansas Department of Health &amp; Environment, there are now 50,870 cases and 586 deaths statewide. This information can be found at <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/">https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/</a>.Here is what you can do to help us to stop the spread:• Stay home if you have any symptoms or are ill• Wear masks in public spaces as required by City Ordinance and County Resolution• Maximize physical distance (6 feet or more) in public settings• Avoid socializing with large groups• High-risk individuals should only leave the house for essential needs• Wash your hands frequentlyOnly follow official sources to obtain information: <a href="http://www.saline.org/coronavirus">www.saline.org/coronavirus</a> or <a href="http://www.kdheks.gov">www.kdheks.gov</a>.

Saline County: 27 new COVID-19 cases; county total at 610 

MCPHERSON -- The McPherson County Health Department today reported two new confirmed cases of COVID-19, including one related to an outbreak at a local assisted living facility.

Following is the information about the new cases as provided by the health department.

Positive case No. 248 was identified late Tuesday and is a symptomatic male in his 80s with known exposure and is related to an outbreak at a local assisted living facility. Previous case 207, 223, and 243 are related to this outbreak. There are a number of other out-ofcounty positives included in this outbreak as well. More information will be released as it is received.

MCPHERSON -- The McPherson County Health Department today reported two new confirmed cases of COVID-19, including one related to an outbreak at a local assisted living facility.Following is the information about the new cases as provided by the health department.Positive case No. 248 was identified late Tuesday and is a symptomatic male in his 80s with known exposure and is related to an outbreak at a local assisted living facility. Previous case 207, 223, and 243 are related to this outbreak. There are a number of other out-ofcounty positives included in this outbreak as well. More information will be released as it is received.Positive case No. 249 is a symptomatic 18-year-old female with unknown exposure.Of the 249 total confirmed cases, 227 have met Kansas Department of Health and Environment recovery guidelines and two of the active cases are hospitalized, the health department noted.

Coronavirus Update