WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence was self-isolating Sunday after an aide tested positive for the coronavirus last week, but he planned to return to the White House on Monday.

An administration official said Pence was voluntarily keeping his distance from other people in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He has repeatedly tested negative for COVID-19 since his exposure but was following the advice of medical officials.

His action came after three of the nation’s top scientists took their own protective steps following possible exposure to a White House staffer infected by the coronavirus.

“Vice President Pence will continue to follow the advice of the White House Medical Unit and is not in quarantine,” spokesman Devin O’Malley said Sunday. “Additionally, Vice President Pence has tested negative every single day and plans to be at the White House tomorrow.”

Pence has been at home since returning to Washington from a day trip to Iowa on Friday and did not appear at President Donald Trump’s meeting with military leaders Saturday at the White House. Pence was informed of the aide’s positive test shortly before departing for that trip.

An official initially said Pence planned to continue working from home, before Pence’s office clarified that he planned to work from the White House on Monday. It was not immediately clear how Pence’s steps to self-isolate would impact his professional or public engagements.

Pence has led the White House coronavirus task force for more than two months. Top officials who have gone into quarantine because of exposure to a person at the White House who tested positive for the virus are Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC; and the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Stephen Hahn.

Pence’s press secretary, Katie Miller, tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday, making her the second person who works at the White House complex known to test positive for the virus this week.

A military service member who acts as a valet to the president tested positive on Thursday, the first known instance where a person in close proximity to the president at the White House had tested positive.

After Miller was identified as having tested positive, Trump said he was “not worried” about the virus spreading in the White House. Nonetheless, officials said they were stepping up safety protocols for the complex.

The three other task force members have indicated varying plans for dealing with their exposure. None has announced testing positive for the virus and, taking into account what has been described as limited exposure to the infected person, are considered at relatively low risk for infection.

Fauci’s institute said he was “taking appropriate precautions” to mitigate the risk to others while still carrying out his duties, teleworking from home but willing to go to the White House if called. Officials said both Redfield and Hahn will be self-quarantining for two weeks.

The three officials were expected to testify by videoconference before a Senate health committee on Tuesday. On Sunday night, the office of the chairman of the committee, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., announced that the senator would be self-quarantining in Tennessee for two weeks after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. Alexander too will participate in the hearing by videoconference.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586429670186.png" alt="Vice President Mike Pence answers questions during a Coronavirus Task Force briefing last month-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Vice President Mike Pence answers questions during a Coronavirus Task Force briefing last month-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence was self-isolating Sunday after an aide tested positive for the coronavirus last week, but he planned to return to the White House on Monday.An administration official said Pence was voluntarily keeping his distance from other people in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He has repeatedly tested negative for COVID-19 since his exposure but was following the advice of medical officials.His action came after three of the nation’s top scientists took their own protective steps following possible exposure to a White House staffer infected by the coronavirus.“Vice President Pence will continue to follow the advice of the White House Medical Unit and is not in quarantine,” spokesman Devin O’Malley said Sunday. “Additionally, Vice President Pence has tested negative every single day and plans to be at the White House tomorrow.”Pence has been at home since returning to Washington from a day trip to Iowa on Friday and did not appear at President Donald Trump’s meeting with military leaders Saturday at the White House. Pence was informed of the aide’s positive test shortly before departing for that trip.An official initially said Pence planned to continue working from home, before Pence’s office clarified that he planned to work from the White House on Monday. It was not immediately clear how Pence’s steps to self-isolate would impact his professional or public engagements.Pence has led the White House coronavirus task force for more than two months. Top officials who have gone into quarantine because of exposure to a person at the White House who tested positive for the virus are Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC; and the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Stephen Hahn.Pence’s press secretary, Katie Miller, tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday, making her the second person who works at the White House complex known to test positive for the virus this week.A military service member who acts as a valet to the president tested positive on Thursday, the first known instance where a person in close proximity to the president at the White House had tested positive.After Miller was identified as having tested positive, Trump said he was “not worried” about the virus spreading in the White House. Nonetheless, officials said they were stepping up safety protocols for the complex.The three other task force members have indicated varying plans for dealing with their exposure. None has announced testing positive for the virus and, taking into account what has been described as limited exposure to the infected person, are considered at relatively low risk for infection.Fauci’s institute said he was “taking appropriate precautions” to mitigate the risk to others while still carrying out his duties, teleworking from home but willing to go to the White House if called. Officials said both Redfield and Hahn will be self-quarantining for two weeks.The three officials were expected to testify by videoconference before a Senate health committee on Tuesday. On Sunday night, the office of the chairman of the committee, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., announced that the senator would be self-quarantining in Tennessee for two weeks after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. Alexander too will participate in the hearing by videoconference.<a href="https://bttrack.com/Click/Native?data=AFVDc9wbmOGpfzAhFqm7EIQtJ_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" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PAI</a>

Vice Pres. expected back at work after exposure to infected aide

BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas harvester Mike Keimig is growing increasingly anxious about whether the foreign seasonal workers he needs to run his nine combines and drive his grain trucks will arrive in time for the start of the winter wheat harvest, which is just weeks away.

His regular crew mostly comprises farm kids from South Africa who return to work for him every year, but they are stuck overseas. The paperwork for about half of the 20 agricultural worker visas he has applied for remains in limbo at the shuttered U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg.

The closure of embassies and consulates due to the coronavirus pandemic is not the only obstacle to bringing in seasonal workers. Governments have closed their borders. Overseas workers who have visas cannot get on a flight. And once they arrive, they would face weeks of quarantine before they could work.

“It will definitely have a big impact on our finances ... if we can’t get help to run our equipment,” Keimig said.

“It would even have an effect on the farmers. Well, maybe they can find somebody besides us to do it, I don’t know?” he said. “But I think it would be a little tough because there are a lot of us in the same situation.”

Harvester crews typically traverse the nation with their combines and grain trucks taking on work where the crops are ripening. They usually work the same farms every season, saving the farmers the cost of investing in harvester equipment.

About 30% of U.S. harvest operations use foreign workers on their crews, according to Mandi Sieren, operations manager for the industry trade group U.S. Custom Harvesters Inc.

Temporary agricultural worker H-2A visas have been largely spared from immigration rollbacks because agriculture is an essential industry, but the workers can’t travel to the U.S. right now because of the restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Sieren said.

As for hiring locally, harvesters “would absolutely love to hire Americans but there are not very many Americans who would leave home for six to nine months at a time,” she said.

As many as half of the workers who harvest U.S. wheat and other grain crops are seasonal foreign workers, said Ryan Haffner, a Kansas harvester and board member for U.S. Custom Harvesters.

“We are always looking for American workers. I mean, that is a constant search,” Haffner said. But many Americans are “disconnected from agriculture” and lack interest or the skills required to work in farming.

“There are more people overseas really that have an interest and still a working knowledge of agriculture,” he said.

Modern harvesting machines are computerized and sophisticated, so it’s not easy for the city-dwelling unemployed to just pick up, adapt and learn to operate them, Haffner said.

Typically, a third of Haffner’s crew of up to 20 workers is American, while the rest come from South Africa, Europe and South America. He has the agricultural worker visas for his foreign workers for this harvest season, but was only able to get a few of them into the U.S. before coronavirus restrictions effectively shut the others out.

The harvest season begins in mid-May in north-central Texas, before moving into Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Montana and North Dakota. In the summer, they cut mostly wheat. In early fall, they harvest peas, canola, soybeans, grain sorghum and corn. Haffner can’t afford to miss a season.

“I have got $5 million worth of equipment — I can’t not be there,” Haffner said. “So we are going to be there. We are going to get to our customers. It is just going to be much more difficult than usual. We intend to get through it.”

Some harvesters are turning to relatives and friends to work for a few weeks or more until the foreign workers can arrive. Some have been able to hire Americans for the whole season. Others are trying to do as much as they can themselves.

Don Kotapish, a 72-year-old farmer who also does a bit of cutting for others on the side, usually brings in a couple of workers from South Africa to help him on his 6,500-acre property in Blue Rapids, Kansas. He said he has been working from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. or later every day because he hasn’t been able to hire any help.

“Not only are we short on help, but we aren’t getting anything for our products,” Kotapish said. “The cattleman and the grain farmers are all in the same situation. That adds more stress.”

Texas harvester Shorty Kulhanek usually hires fewer than five seasonal workers, and he has been able to pick up some workers from Oklahoma, Kansas, Wisconsin and Washington this season. He said it was easier to find Americans to join his crew because so many people are out of work.

Furthermore, Kulhanek’s applications for seasonal agricultural worker visas have yet to be approved, and he was told that might not happen until July 15.

“I can’t wait that long,” he said. “I have to proceed with what I can get.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589039066122.png" alt="Farmer cuts a northwest Kansas wheat field in 2019" />
 <figcaption>Farmer cuts a northwest Kansas wheat field in 2019</figcaption>
 </figure>BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas harvester Mike Keimig is growing increasingly anxious about whether the foreign seasonal workers he needs to run his nine combines and drive his grain trucks will arrive in time for the start of the winter wheat harvest, which is just weeks away.His regular crew mostly comprises farm kids from South Africa who return to work for him every year, but they are stuck overseas. The paperwork for about half of the 20 agricultural worker visas he has applied for remains in limbo at the shuttered U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg.The closure of embassies and consulates due to the coronavirus pandemic is not the only obstacle to bringing in seasonal workers. Governments have closed their borders. Overseas workers who have visas cannot get on a flight. And once they arrive, they would face weeks of quarantine before they could work.“It will definitely have a big impact on our finances ... if we can’t get help to run our equipment,” Keimig said.“It would even have an effect on the farmers. Well, maybe they can find somebody besides us to do it, I don’t know?” he said. “But I think it would be a little tough because there are a lot of us in the same situation.”Harvester crews typically traverse the nation with their combines and grain trucks taking on work where the crops are ripening. They usually work the same farms every season, saving the farmers the cost of investing in harvester equipment.About 30% of U.S. harvest operations use foreign workers on their crews, according to Mandi Sieren, operations manager for the industry trade group U.S. Custom Harvesters Inc.Temporary agricultural worker H-2A visas have been largely spared from immigration rollbacks because agriculture is an essential industry, but the workers can’t travel to the U.S. right now because of the restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Sieren said.As for hiring locally, harvesters “would absolutely love to hire Americans but there are not very many Americans who would leave home for six to nine months at a time,” she said.As many as half of the workers who harvest U.S. wheat and other grain crops are seasonal foreign workers, said Ryan Haffner, a Kansas harvester and board member for U.S. Custom Harvesters.“We are always looking for American workers. I mean, that is a constant search,” Haffner said. But many Americans are “disconnected from agriculture” and lack interest or the skills required to work in farming.“There are more people overseas really that have an interest and still a working knowledge of agriculture,” he said.Modern harvesting machines are computerized and sophisticated, so it’s not easy for the city-dwelling unemployed to just pick up, adapt and learn to operate them, Haffner said.Typically, a third of Haffner’s crew of up to 20 workers is American, while the rest come from South Africa, Europe and South America. He has the agricultural worker visas for his foreign workers for this harvest season, but was only able to get a few of them into the U.S. before coronavirus restrictions effectively shut the others out.The harvest season begins in mid-May in north-central Texas, before moving into Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Montana and North Dakota. In the summer, they cut mostly wheat. In early fall, they harvest peas, canola, soybeans, grain sorghum and corn. Haffner can’t afford to miss a season.“I have got $5 million worth of equipment — I can’t not be there,” Haffner said. “So we are going to be there. We are going to get to our customers. It is just going to be much more difficult than usual. We intend to get through it.”Some harvesters are turning to relatives and friends to work for a few weeks or more until the foreign workers can arrive. Some have been able to hire Americans for the whole season. Others are trying to do as much as they can themselves.Don Kotapish, a 72-year-old farmer who also does a bit of cutting for others on the side, usually brings in a couple of workers from South Africa to help him on his 6,500-acre property in Blue Rapids, Kansas. He said he has been working from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. or later every day because he hasn’t been able to hire any help.“Not only are we short on help, but we aren’t getting anything for our products,” Kotapish said. “The cattleman and the grain farmers are all in the same situation. That adds more stress.”Texas harvester Shorty Kulhanek usually hires fewer than five seasonal workers, and he has been able to pick up some workers from Oklahoma, Kansas, Wisconsin and Washington this season. He said it was easier to find Americans to join his crew because so many people are out of work.Furthermore, Kulhanek’s applications for seasonal agricultural worker visas have yet to be approved, and he was told that might not happen until July 15.“I can’t wait that long,” he said. “I have to proceed with what I can get.”

Harvesters struggle to recruit foreign crews during pandemic

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 233 to a total of 6984, the state health department reported Sunday afternoon.&nbsp;

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

Note: Starting May 11, the KDHE will stop releasing daily updates of counts of coronavirus cases and move to releasing the information on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

He said department employees need a combined total of 10 hours a day to produce the data and post it on its coronavirus website.

“We can spring free our precious epidemiology staff to do their work, which is actually to push down the disease,” Norman said.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 233 to a total of 6984, the state health department reported Sunday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 157<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589134712386.png" alt="May 10, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>May 10, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>Note: Starting May 11, the KDHE will stop releasing daily updates of counts of coronavirus cases and move to releasing the information on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.He said department employees need a combined total of 10 hours a day to produce the data and post it on its coronavirus website.“We can spring free our precious epidemiology staff to do their work, which is actually to push down the disease,” Norman said.

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

TOPEKA –The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is working&nbsp; with the University of Kansas School of Engineering (KU) to determine if genetic remnants of COVID-19 can be detected in wastewater.&nbsp;

According to the KDHE, the concept originally tested in Massachusetts and the Netherlands, and now throughout the United States, is that people infected with the virus shed it through their urine and feces. 

The genetic material can be extracted from wastewater and matched against genetic markers keyed to COVID-19. The virus itself does not survive in wastewater, and therefore wastewater is not a significant means of disease transmission.&nbsp;

Detecting the genetic material in wastewater is indicative of COVID-19 being present and may give local health officials knowledge of how widespread it is in their community, allowing them to take proactive measures to mitigate its spread. While drinking water is not part of this ongoing study, it’s important to note disinfection by all Kansas public water suppliers inactivates the virus and drinking water remains safe for consumption.

The Kansas project is still in its preliminary stages. KU collected samples from 12 wastewater plants in Kansas in late April. Some indication of the genetic material was found in the wastewater in 10 of those plants. Results are too variable and uncertain to make actual estimates of the extent of infection in those communities. The results were communicated to officials in cities that participated in the study.

“The initial results do show genetic indications from COVID-19 in wastewater; however, at best, we are at the presence/absence stage of evaluation process,” Tom Stiles, KDHE’s Bureau of Water director, said. “There is much more we need to refine in the methodology to assure quality control and that will start with further testing of samples. We don’t know how quantitative this approach can be, but we are hoping it gives us a means to corroborate our COVID testing of individuals, particularly in counties where positive cases have been low. Additionally, we may employ it as early warning surveillance should the virus come back in the fall or winter to give us a chance to get ahead of it.”&nbsp;

Samples were taken from a large city and a small town, each in five northeast Kansas counties with multiple wastewater facilities and sampled in Lawrence and Topeka. KDHE and KU are still evaluating the results and formulating plans for next steps in using the detection techniques.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588951923813.png" alt="Waste water treatment plant -photo courtesy Johnson County" />
 <figcaption>Waste water treatment plant -photo courtesy Johnson County</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA –The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is working&nbsp; with the University of Kansas School of Engineering (KU) to determine if genetic remnants of COVID-19 can be detected in wastewater.&nbsp;According to the KDHE, the concept originally tested in Massachusetts and the Netherlands, and now throughout the United States, is that people infected with the virus shed it through their urine and feces. The genetic material can be extracted from wastewater and matched against genetic markers keyed to COVID-19. The virus itself does not survive in wastewater, and therefore wastewater is not a significant means of disease transmission.&nbsp;Detecting the genetic material in wastewater is indicative of COVID-19 being present and may give local health officials knowledge of how widespread it is in their community, allowing them to take proactive measures to mitigate its spread. While drinking water is not part of this ongoing study, it’s important to note disinfection by all Kansas public water suppliers inactivates the virus and drinking water remains safe for consumption.The Kansas project is still in its preliminary stages. KU collected samples from 12 wastewater plants in Kansas in late April. Some indication of the genetic material was found in the wastewater in 10 of those plants. Results are too variable and uncertain to make actual estimates of the extent of infection in those communities. The results were communicated to officials in cities that participated in the study.“The initial results do show genetic indications from COVID-19 in wastewater; however, at best, we are at the presence/absence stage of evaluation process,” Tom Stiles, KDHE’s Bureau of Water director, said. “There is much more we need to refine in the methodology to assure quality control and that will start with further testing of samples. We don’t know how quantitative this approach can be, but we are hoping it gives us a means to corroborate our COVID testing of individuals, particularly in counties where positive cases have been low. Additionally, we may employ it as early warning surveillance should the virus come back in the fall or winter to give us a chance to get ahead of it.”&nbsp;Samples were taken from a large city and a small town, each in five northeast Kansas counties with multiple wastewater facilities and sampled in Lawrence and Topeka. KDHE and KU are still evaluating the results and formulating plans for next steps in using the detection techniques.

KDHE: Wastewater could hold clues to fighting COVID-19

Here is the Saturday COVID-19 update from Saline County:

The Saline County Health Department does not have any additional cases of COVID-19 to report today.

We recognize that graduation ceremonies were planned to occur today for Kansas Wesleyan University and K-State Polytechnic. While in-person ceremonies have been postponed, we want to extend our congratulatory wishes to all graduates.

•KDHE announced that beginning Monday, May 11th, the Daily Case Summary will only be released on Monday’s, Wednesday’s, and Friday’s.

As we attempt to reopen Saline County, the entire community is counting on each person to follow the below recommendations to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

•It is highly encouraged to continue to wear cloth masks and maintain social distancing.

•It is highly encouraged for people to only leave their homes for essentials.

•It is highly recommended those employees in any service industry wear PPE (especially cloth masks).

•It is highly encouraged to continue telework.

•Avoid socializing in person with groups of 10 or more individuals in both indoor and outdoor settings.

•Any employees exhibiting symptoms should be required to stay at home and asked to call their health care provider.

•It will take the effort to follow the above recommendations from everyone in our community to continue our reopening.

Help our community in slowing the spread of this virus. 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>. Stay Safe &amp; Stay Healthy.

Here is the Saturday COVID-19 update from Saline County:The Saline County Health Department does not have any additional cases of COVID-19 to report today.We recognize that graduation ceremonies were planned to occur today for Kansas Wesleyan University and K-State Polytechnic. While in-person ceremonies have been postponed, we want to extend our congratulatory wishes to all graduates.Announcements:•KDHE announced that beginning Monday, May 11th, the Daily Case Summary will only be released on Monday’s, Wednesday’s, and Friday’s.As we attempt to reopen Saline County, the entire community is counting on each person to follow the below recommendations to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.•It is highly encouraged to continue to wear cloth masks and maintain social distancing.•It is highly encouraged for people to only leave their homes for essentials.•It is highly recommended those employees in any service industry wear PPE (especially cloth masks).•It is highly encouraged to continue telework.•Avoid socializing in person with groups of 10 or more individuals in both indoor and outdoor settings.•Any employees exhibiting symptoms should be required to stay at home and asked to call their health care provider.•It will take the effort to follow the above recommendations from everyone in our community to continue our reopening.Help our community in slowing the spread of this virus. 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>. Stay Safe &amp; Stay Healthy.

Saline County: No new confirmed COVID-19 cases

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Operators of food assistance programs across Kansas are serving hundreds of additional families that are struggling financially due to the fallout from the coronavirus.

The increased need comes at a time when donations are down,&nbsp; according to Kansas Food Bank CEO Brian Walker.

The food bank last week began surveying 164 partner agencies across the state. The 104 responses as of Tuesday indicated a roughly 30% increase in need due to the pandemic.

Walker believes the need isn't going away anytime soon, even as businesses begin operating again and some employees return to work.

“We don’t want people to think because the economy has opened back up and you can go to a restaurant that, you know, everybody is going back to work and people aren’t going to need assistance. That’s just not the case," Walker said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589060747964.png" alt="&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KSARNG/?__tn__=K-R&amp;eid=ARBH73PgYcz7-wVJADkzvb-WMjg7FM5J6TXNInt2hxlZPhalL6RBmMVX5hzcSZyd3EZ2u6ov33CPe70Y&amp;fref=mentions&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCnX6dYVLULQsNaMgXm28NxnY_rsxVjuA6Up8DqjS3ASL8ogICaDhNTdd7zyNQ8CzUAUFHj4keQ9IL2S94p-ump4Fn9uTLUuQLKaIgFLy23MdWc4WvzwUOLRcTaXkrjz7kcbUf2e2oBzgFe1MIqJajIhRmEqC1SR_lFnnQYl9NovFAznrz1VxC-Y23jLFMx6HaQ-Yzs0ku-RaX9D1Qj-Den1x86ccuaJchxyDwWM48nUFnd0yl-G3hk8R6N3gfjEYlEtcqyrrA5oY_ZFN44JgoHkKxkROpM7FNSyp4omD5qzrgY6XcbRLKSrrPK6UT23MgdKTAj_b2tvVZbC5mg">Kansas Army National Guard</a>&nbsp;Soldiers from the 2nd Combined Arms Battalion 137th Infantry Regiment (KSARNG) are working in coordination with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasEmergency/?__tn__=K-R&amp;eid=ARC__pfr9y6Vf-YH2jFBPeRSaoOOpcDoRuvn8JFMcoLoite7AyHk4gbRqMListcxKqJmNNAhAE_bPJPB&amp;fref=mentions&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCnX6dYVLULQsNaMgXm28NxnY_rsxVjuA6Up8DqjS3ASL8ogICaDhNTdd7zyNQ8CzUAUFHj4keQ9IL2S94p-ump4Fn9uTLUuQLKaIgFLy23MdWc4WvzwUOLRcTaXkrjz7kcbUf2e2oBzgFe1MIqJajIhRmEqC1SR_lFnnQYl9NovFAznrz1VxC-Y23jLFMx6HaQ-Yzs0ku-RaX9D1Qj-Den1x86ccuaJchxyDwWM48nUFnd0yl-G3hk8R6N3gfjEYlEtcqyrrA5oY_ZFN44JgoHkKxkROpM7FNSyp4omD5qzrgY6XcbRLKSrrPK6UT23MgdKTAj_b2tvVZbC5mg">Kansas Division of Emergency Management</a>&nbsp;and the Kansas Food Bank to provide food boxes for individuals and families in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.-photos courtesy Kansas Food Bank" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KSARNG/?__tn__=K-R&amp;eid=ARBH73PgYcz7-wVJADkzvb-WMjg7FM5J6TXNInt2hxlZPhalL6RBmMVX5hzcSZyd3EZ2u6ov33CPe70Y&amp;fref=mentions&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCnX6dYVLULQsNaMgXm28NxnY_rsxVjuA6Up8DqjS3ASL8ogICaDhNTdd7zyNQ8CzUAUFHj4keQ9IL2S94p-ump4Fn9uTLUuQLKaIgFLy23MdWc4WvzwUOLRcTaXkrjz7kcbUf2e2oBzgFe1MIqJajIhRmEqC1SR_lFnnQYl9NovFAznrz1VxC-Y23jLFMx6HaQ-Yzs0ku-RaX9D1Qj-Den1x86ccuaJchxyDwWM48nUFnd0yl-G3hk8R6N3gfjEYlEtcqyrrA5oY_ZFN44JgoHkKxkROpM7FNSyp4omD5qzrgY6XcbRLKSrrPK6UT23MgdKTAj_b2tvVZbC5mg">Kansas Army National Guard</a>&nbsp;Soldiers from the 2nd Combined Arms Battalion 137th Infantry Regiment (KSARNG) are working in coordination with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KansasEmergency/?__tn__=K-R&amp;eid=ARC__pfr9y6Vf-YH2jFBPeRSaoOOpcDoRuvn8JFMcoLoite7AyHk4gbRqMListcxKqJmNNAhAE_bPJPB&amp;fref=mentions&amp;__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCnX6dYVLULQsNaMgXm28NxnY_rsxVjuA6Up8DqjS3ASL8ogICaDhNTdd7zyNQ8CzUAUFHj4keQ9IL2S94p-ump4Fn9uTLUuQLKaIgFLy23MdWc4WvzwUOLRcTaXkrjz7kcbUf2e2oBzgFe1MIqJajIhRmEqC1SR_lFnnQYl9NovFAznrz1VxC-Y23jLFMx6HaQ-Yzs0ku-RaX9D1Qj-Den1x86ccuaJchxyDwWM48nUFnd0yl-G3hk8R6N3gfjEYlEtcqyrrA5oY_ZFN44JgoHkKxkROpM7FNSyp4omD5qzrgY6XcbRLKSrrPK6UT23MgdKTAj_b2tvVZbC5mg">Kansas Division of Emergency Management</a>&nbsp;and the Kansas Food Bank to provide food boxes for individuals and families in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.-photos courtesy Kansas Food Bank</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Operators of food assistance programs across Kansas are serving hundreds of additional families that are struggling financially due to the fallout from the coronavirus.The increased need comes at a time when donations are down,&nbsp; according to Kansas Food Bank CEO Brian Walker.The food bank last week began surveying 164 partner agencies across the state. The 104 responses as of Tuesday indicated a roughly 30% increase in need due to the pandemic.Walker believes the need isn't going away anytime soon, even as businesses begin operating again and some employees return to work.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589060843617.png" alt="Soldiers packed over 5,000 boxes, each containing multiple meals, that will be distributed across the food banks 85 county service area." />
 <figcaption>Soldiers packed over 5,000 boxes, each containing multiple meals, that will be distributed across the food banks 85 county service area.</figcaption>
 </figure>“We don’t want people to think because the economy has opened back up and you can go to a restaurant that, you know, everybody is going back to work and people aren’t going to need assistance. That’s just not the case," Walker said.

Food pantry demand up sharply across Kansas due to virus

By GREG DOERING <a href="https://kansaslivingmagazine.com/articles/2020/04/29/covid-19-creates-uncertainty-at-kansas-dairies">Kansas Living Magazine</a>

Dan Wiebe and his wife Kerry milk about 100 cows each and every day 
on the last remaining dairy farm in Butler County. The Wiebes have 
watched a “fairly good” milk market fall off a cliff over the past few 
weeks as Covid-19 upended the industry with the closure of restaurants 
and schools.

Still, Dan says Keriel Dairy is fortunate because it has some 
protection through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dairy Margin 
Coverage, a voluntary program that covers some costs if revenue falls 
below the cost to produce milk. The Wiebes signed up for the program in 
the fall, well before the pandemic hit.

“They’re projecting for either April or May that the coverage will be
 paying out $5 per hundredweight (roughly 11.63 gallons of milk,” Dan 
says. “That’s how bad the price is.”

When the year began, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA, the cooperative 
the Wiebes sell their milk through, paid about $18 for every 100 pounds 
of white liquid. The price declined between 20 and 40 percent depending 
on the class of milk produced by early April.

“The problem is that insurance payment is going to lag behind probably 60 days,” Dan says. “There’s going to be a two-month window where we’re getting a third off our normal milk check.”

Freefalling milk prices are the result of sharply reduced demand from
 schools, restaurants and other institutional buyers. The supply chain 
to service those accounts can’t quickly shift to fill retail packages.

One example Dan gave is cheese destined for restaurants is packaged 
in bulk bags or large blocks, both of which are now sitting on packed 
warehouses.

“The price is right,” he says. “The plants would love to buy milk and
 make cheese, but they have no place to put the cheese because it’s not 
going out the door.”

That disconnect has led DFA to dump some milk. While none of the 
Wiebes milk has been dumped, DFA is suggesting dairies consider a 10 
percent reduction in what they produce.

Dan says there are a number of steps dairies can take to reduce their
 milk output, like removing lower-producing cows from the milking 
stream, feeding more to calves than normal, and “drying” cows, or 
increasing the number of days a cow doesn’t produce milk.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act will provide 
help to farmers and ranchers, including those in the dairy industry. The
 details of the package aren’t fully known, but there will be money for 
direct payments and additional funding for Dairy Margin Coverage.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture also will partner with regional 
distributors to buy $3 billion in fresh produce, dairy and meat. The 
food products will be packaged in boxes and shipped to food banks, 
community- and faith-based organizations, as well as other nonprofits. 
The goal is to begin shipping boxes as soon as May 15.

The program aims to support those who grow food and those who need it most while minimizing the amount of waste.

At McCarty Family Farms, supply and demand are less of a factor 
because of the dairy’s unique business model. Ken McCarty and his three 
brothers operate five dairies, including three in Kansas. They sell 
their milk on a cost-plus basis to Danone, which turns it into Dannon 
yogurt.

“Basically, our books and our business are fully transparent to 
them,” McCarty says. “We have a guaranteed profit margin, but we work 
collaboratively on things that maybe are important to not only us as a 
company and Danone as a company but society in general.”

Covid-19 hasn’t affected the bottom line at McCarty Family Farms, but it has changed how they and their 200 employees operate.

The McCarty dairies have implemented social distancing policies, restricted access to nonessential vendors, shifted deliveries from essential vendors, limited the number of workers allowed in breakrooms and reevaluated their entire supply chain.

“We have visibility to the direct impact to the team members we see every day,” McCarty says. “We have the good fortune of being able to go to work every day. A lot of people don’t have that.”

McCarty says his teams have had a minimal impact from school 
closures, and there are still plenty of conversations about helping 
workers with spouses who may have lost a job.

McCarty says there’s opportunities for the dairy industry in the form
 of lower input costs for fuel and feed, but he worries that may not be 
enough for some farmers and ranchers.

“The situation in general for the dairy industry and the ag market as a whole is dire,” he says. “We at McCarty Family Farms are very concerned about the long-term implications this will have on rural America.”

McCarty says rural America runs on razor-thin margins in the best of times. He’s worried about how the downturn will affect schools, hospitals and small businesses in the communities where the family milks cows. While McCarty has a guaranteed profit margin, he recognizes many, especially in the dairy industry, are not as fortunate.

“We count our blessings, but we’re still dealing with a tremendous amount of uncertainty even in spite of all the good things we have,” he says. “The stress load is high, and we’re not dealing with a lot of the stress that other people are.”

Kansas Living Magazine is a publication of Kansas Farm Bureau.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588865787208.jpeg" alt="Photo by Amber Kipp on Unsplash" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Amber Kipp on Unsplash</figcaption>
 </figure>By GREG DOERING <a href="https://kansaslivingmagazine.com/articles/2020/04/29/covid-19-creates-uncertainty-at-kansas-dairies">Kansas Living Magazine</a>Dan Wiebe and his wife Kerry milk about 100 cows each and every day 
on the last remaining dairy farm in Butler County. The Wiebes have 
watched a “fairly good” milk market fall off a cliff over the past few 
weeks as Covid-19 upended the industry with the closure of restaurants 
and schools.Still, Dan says Keriel Dairy is fortunate because it has some 
protection through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dairy Margin 
Coverage, a voluntary program that covers some costs if revenue falls 
below the cost to produce milk. The Wiebes signed up for the program in 
the fall, well before the pandemic hit.“They’re projecting for either April or May that the coverage will be
 paying out $5 per hundredweight (roughly 11.63 gallons of milk,” Dan 
says. “That’s how bad the price is.”When the year began, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA, the cooperative 
the Wiebes sell their milk through, paid about $18 for every 100 pounds 
of white liquid. The price declined between 20 and 40 percent depending 
on the class of milk produced by early April.“The problem is that insurance payment is going to lag behind probably 60 days,” Dan says. “There’s going to be a two-month window where we’re getting a third off our normal milk check.”<h2>MODEL INTERUPTED</h2>Freefalling milk prices are the result of sharply reduced demand from
 schools, restaurants and other institutional buyers. The supply chain 
to service those accounts can’t quickly shift to fill retail packages.One example Dan gave is cheese destined for restaurants is packaged 
in bulk bags or large blocks, both of which are now sitting on packed 
warehouses.“The price is right,” he says. “The plants would love to buy milk and
 make cheese, but they have no place to put the cheese because it’s not 
going out the door.”That disconnect has led DFA to dump some milk. While none of the 
Wiebes milk has been dumped, DFA is suggesting dairies consider a 10 
percent reduction in what they produce.Dan says there are a number of steps dairies can take to reduce their
 milk output, like removing lower-producing cows from the milking 
stream, feeding more to calves than normal, and “drying” cows, or 
increasing the number of days a cow doesn’t produce milk.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588865861514.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>CARES ACT</h2>The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act will provide 
help to farmers and ranchers, including those in the dairy industry. The
 details of the package aren’t fully known, but there will be money for 
direct payments and additional funding for Dairy Margin Coverage.The U.S. Department of Agriculture also will partner with regional 
distributors to buy $3 billion in fresh produce, dairy and meat. The 
food products will be packaged in boxes and shipped to food banks, 
community- and faith-based organizations, as well as other nonprofits. 
The goal is to begin shipping boxes as soon as May 15.The program aims to support those who grow food and those who need it most while minimizing the amount of waste.<h2>LIFE UPENDED</h2>At McCarty Family Farms, supply and demand are less of a factor 
because of the dairy’s unique business model. Ken McCarty and his three 
brothers operate five dairies, including three in Kansas. They sell 
their milk on a cost-plus basis to Danone, which turns it into Dannon 
yogurt.“Basically, our books and our business are fully transparent to 
them,” McCarty says. “We have a guaranteed profit margin, but we work 
collaboratively on things that maybe are important to not only us as a 
company and Danone as a company but society in general.”Covid-19 hasn’t affected the bottom line at McCarty Family Farms, but it has changed how they and their 200 employees operate.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588865893003.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>The McCarty dairies have implemented social distancing policies, restricted access to nonessential vendors, shifted deliveries from essential vendors, limited the number of workers allowed in breakrooms and reevaluated their entire supply chain.“We have visibility to the direct impact to the team members we see every day,” McCarty says. “We have the good fortune of being able to go to work every day. A lot of people don’t have that.”McCarty says his teams have had a minimal impact from school 
closures, and there are still plenty of conversations about helping 
workers with spouses who may have lost a job.<h2>BROADER FALLOUT</h2>McCarty says there’s opportunities for the dairy industry in the form
 of lower input costs for fuel and feed, but he worries that may not be 
enough for some farmers and ranchers.“The situation in general for the dairy industry and the ag market as a whole is dire,” he says. “We at McCarty Family Farms are very concerned about the long-term implications this will have on rural America.”McCarty says rural America runs on razor-thin margins in the best of times. He’s worried about how the downturn will affect schools, hospitals and small businesses in the communities where the family milks cows. While McCarty has a guaranteed profit margin, he recognizes many, especially in the dairy industry, are not as fortunate.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588865954519.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>“We count our blessings, but we’re still dealing with a tremendous amount of uncertainty even in spite of all the good things we have,” he says. “The stress load is high, and we’re not dealing with a lot of the stress that other people are.”Kansas Living Magazine is a publication of Kansas Farm Bureau.

Covid-19 creates uncertainty at Kansas dairies

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 250 to a total of 6751, the state health department reported Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;

Editors note:&nbsp;Starting May 11, the KDHE will stop releasing daily updates of counts of coronavirus cases and move to releasing the information on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, according to KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman.

"The department employees need a combined total of 10 hours a day to produce the data and post it on the KDHE coronavirus website. We can spring free our precious epidemiology staff to do their work, which is actually to push down the disease,” Norman said.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 250 to a total of 6751, the state health department reported Saturday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 157<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589044103666.png" alt="May 9, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>May 9, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>Editors note:&nbsp;Starting May 11, the KDHE will stop releasing daily updates of counts of coronavirus cases and move to releasing the information on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, according to KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman."The department employees need a combined total of 10 hours a day to produce the data and post it on the KDHE coronavirus website. We can spring free our precious epidemiology staff to do their work, which is actually to push down the disease,” Norman said.

LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) —&nbsp; Kansas City and St. Louis County officials announced Friday that they will proceed with the gradual reopening of businesses but with several restrictions in place as efforts continue to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Kansas City will allow restaurants, bars, gyms, museums, the Kansas City Zoo, government buildings and city-maintained playground equipment to open May 15. Lucas and city health officials had hesitated after 11 COVID-19 cases were confirmed at a senior living complex but the mayor said Friday that the reopening would continue. He planned a news conference on Monday to discuss restrictions at restaurants.

St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said large venues, including sports courts and playgrounds, public pools, gyms and fitness centers, and banquet rooms, will not be allowed to open May 18.

Employees at businesses such as bars and restaurants that do open will be required to wear masks and may refuse service to customers who don't wear masks, Page said. The several other requirements include frequent disinfecting of the premises, testing of employees in danger of contracting COVID-19, and occupancy limits based on the size of the business.

“As we start to discuss easing these (stay-at-home) orders, it does not mean we should let our guard down,” Page said “This is a gradual process of reopening our county. A gradual, thoughtful, deliberate and measured process will allow us to continue to move forward.”

The St. Louis and Kansas City areas have reported a majority of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Missouri, which on Friday increased by 148 to 9,489. The state also reported 31 news deaths Friday, raising the total to 449.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up after two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

A Kansas City-area church contends in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday that Jackson County’s reopening plan discriminates against religious institutions by limiting the number of people who can gather to worship.

Jackson County’s stay-at-home order ends Sunday. The first phase of its reopening plan limits gatherings or social events to 10 or fewer people, which includes religious services, funerals and weddings. It also limits locations larger than 10,000 square feet to 10% occupancy.

The Abundant Life Baptist Church, which has sites in Lee’s Summit and Blue Springs, alleges in the lawsuit that the occupancy restrictions force the church to choose between violating its religious beliefs by not gathering, or face legal consequences for holding services, KMBC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kmbc.com/article/lees-summit-missouri-church-files-suit-claiming-jackson-countys-stay-at-home-order-violates-religious-freedom/32415969">reported</a>.

Jackson County offices were closed Friday to celebrate President Harry Truman’s birthday and a spokeswoman did not immediately return a message seeking reaction.

One of the largest health care companies in the St. Louis area said Friday it is furloughing thousands of workers starting Monday due to economic damage caused by the pandemic. Mercy said the decline in non-coronavirus medical procedures and doctors’ visits has created a financial hardship. The company operates hospitals and medical offices in four states.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588183540198.png" alt="Rules for reopening Kansas City" />
 <figcaption>Rules for reopening Kansas City</figcaption>
 </figure>LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) —&nbsp; Kansas City and St. Louis County officials announced Friday that they will proceed with the gradual reopening of businesses but with several restrictions in place as efforts continue to slow the spread of the coronavirus.Kansas City will allow restaurants, bars, gyms, museums, the Kansas City Zoo, government buildings and city-maintained playground equipment to open May 15. Lucas and city health officials had hesitated after 11 COVID-19 cases were confirmed at a senior living complex but the mayor said Friday that the reopening would continue. He planned a news conference on Monday to discuss restrictions at restaurants.St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said large venues, including sports courts and playgrounds, public pools, gyms and fitness centers, and banquet rooms, will not be allowed to open May 18.Employees at businesses such as bars and restaurants that do open will be required to wear masks and may refuse service to customers who don't wear masks, Page said. The several other requirements include frequent disinfecting of the premises, testing of employees in danger of contracting COVID-19, and occupancy limits based on the size of the business.“As we start to discuss easing these (stay-at-home) orders, it does not mean we should let our guard down,” Page said “This is a gradual process of reopening our county. A gradual, thoughtful, deliberate and measured process will allow us to continue to move forward.”The St. Louis and Kansas City areas have reported a majority of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Missouri, which on Friday increased by 148 to 9,489. The state also reported 31 news deaths Friday, raising the total to 449.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up after two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.A Kansas City-area church contends in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday that Jackson County’s reopening plan discriminates against religious institutions by limiting the number of people who can gather to worship.Jackson County’s stay-at-home order ends Sunday. The first phase of its reopening plan limits gatherings or social events to 10 or fewer people, which includes religious services, funerals and weddings. It also limits locations larger than 10,000 square feet to 10% occupancy.The Abundant Life Baptist Church, which has sites in Lee’s Summit and Blue Springs, alleges in the lawsuit that the occupancy restrictions force the church to choose between violating its religious beliefs by not gathering, or face legal consequences for holding services, KMBC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kmbc.com/article/lees-summit-missouri-church-files-suit-claiming-jackson-countys-stay-at-home-order-violates-religious-freedom/32415969">reported</a>.Jackson County offices were closed Friday to celebrate President Harry Truman’s birthday and a spokeswoman did not immediately return a message seeking reaction.One of the largest health care companies in the St. Louis area said Friday it is furloughing thousands of workers starting Monday due to economic damage caused by the pandemic. Mercy said the decline in non-coronavirus medical procedures and doctors’ visits has created a financial hardship. The company operates hospitals and medical offices in four states.

Kansas City plans restricted reopening

On this episode of Forward Ever; Leading in Challenging Times, Gary Shorman speaks with Kansas Lt. Governor Lynn Rogers about the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

<div><iframe title="Forward Ever: Lynn Rodgers" height="400" width="400" style="border: none;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/media/player/w8m3u-dbd1de?from=yiiadmin&download=1&version=1&vjs=1&skin=3&auto=1&share=1&fonts=Helvetica&download=1&rtl=0&pbad=1"></iframe></div>On this episode of Forward Ever; Leading in Challenging Times, Gary Shorman speaks with Kansas Lt. Governor Lynn Rogers about the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

🎤Forward Ever: Kansas Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers

WASHINGTON, DC - There’s an incredible new opportunity for recovered&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;patients to help their community. 

In coordination with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, the&nbsp; American Red Cross (ARC) is seeking people who are fully recovered from COVID-19 to&nbsp;<a href="http://t.givebloodtoday.redcrossblood.org/r/?id=h30c2d963,16642d12,163097fe&amp;med=email&amp;source=bioadobe&amp;campdesc=BHQ_IN_WB_ABO_CCPEmail1_NA1_Active_050620&amp;cid=373271110&amp;did=PRDDM60165&amp;bid=818076003&amp;subj=You%20Could%20Help%20Save%20A%20COVID-19%20Patient&amp;prty=normal&amp;nat=conversion&amp;prod=plasma&amp;sender=American%20Red%20Cross&amp;delvId=375663890" target="_blank">sign up to donate plasma</a>&nbsp;to help current&nbsp;COVID-19 patients.

If you have recovered from a positive&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;diagnosis and wish to be a convalescent plasma donor, or if you know somebody who has recovered and may want to help in this way, please visit our&nbsp;<a href="http://t.givebloodtoday.redcrossblood.org/r/?id=h30c2d963,16642d12,163097ff&amp;med=email&amp;source=bioadobe&amp;campdesc=BHQ_IN_WB_ABO_CCPEmail1_NA1_Active_050620&amp;cid=373271110&amp;did=PRDDM60165&amp;bid=818076003&amp;subj=You%20Could%20Help%20Save%20A%20COVID-19%20Patient&amp;prty=normal&amp;nat=conversion&amp;prod=plasma&amp;sender=American%20Red%20Cross&amp;delvId=375663890" target="_blank">COVID-19&nbsp;Convalescent Plasma Donor Information Page.</a>&nbsp;You could be eligible to help&nbsp;if you:

Historically, convalescent plasma has been used as a potentially lifesaving treatment when new diseases or infections develop quickly, and no treatments or vaccines are available yet.

&nbsp;<a href="http://t.givebloodtoday.redcrossblood.org/r/?id=h30c2d963,16642d12,16309801&amp;med=email&amp;source=bioadobe&amp;campdesc=BHQ_IN_WB_ABO_CCPEmail1_NA1_Active_050620&amp;cid=373271110&amp;did=PRDDM60165&amp;bid=818076003&amp;subj=You%20Could%20Help%20Save%20A%20COVID-19%20Patient&amp;prty=normal&amp;nat=conversion&amp;prod=plasma&amp;sender=American%20Red%20Cross&amp;delvId=375663890" target="_blank">The&nbsp;Red Cross&nbsp;program</a>&nbsp;will allow for efficient distribution of convalescent plasma to wherever it’s needed most across the country. Your plasma may be the key to&nbsp;saving lives.

If you have recently recovered from&nbsp;COVID-19,&nbsp;please take a moment to learn more about our convalescent plasma program and fill out our <a href="https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/dlp/plasma-donations-from-recovered-covid-19-patients.html?med=email&amp;source=bioadobe&amp;campdesc=BHQ_IN_WB_ABO_CCPEmail1_NA1_Active_050620&amp;cid=373271110&amp;did=PRDDM60165&amp;bid=818076003&amp;subj=You%20Could%20Help%20Save%20A%20COVID-19%20Patient&amp;prty=normal&amp;nat=conversion&amp;prod=plasma&amp;sender=American%20Red%20Cross&amp;delvId=375663890">online form</a> to help those fighting&nbsp;the virus.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588801216356.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>ARCWASHINGTON, DC - There’s an incredible new opportunity for recovered&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;patients to help their community. In coordination with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, the&nbsp; American Red Cross (ARC) is seeking people who are fully recovered from COVID-19 to&nbsp;<a href="http://t.givebloodtoday.redcrossblood.org/r/?id=h30c2d963,16642d12,163097fe&amp;med=email&amp;source=bioadobe&amp;campdesc=BHQ_IN_WB_ABO_CCPEmail1_NA1_Active_050620&amp;cid=373271110&amp;did=PRDDM60165&amp;bid=818076003&amp;subj=You%20Could%20Help%20Save%20A%20COVID-19%20Patient&amp;prty=normal&amp;nat=conversion&amp;prod=plasma&amp;sender=American%20Red%20Cross&amp;delvId=375663890" target="_blank">sign up to donate plasma</a>&nbsp;to help current&nbsp;COVID-19 patients.If you have recovered from a positive&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;diagnosis and wish to be a convalescent plasma donor, or if you know somebody who has recovered and may want to help in this way, please visit our&nbsp;<a href="http://t.givebloodtoday.redcrossblood.org/r/?id=h30c2d963,16642d12,163097ff&amp;med=email&amp;source=bioadobe&amp;campdesc=BHQ_IN_WB_ABO_CCPEmail1_NA1_Active_050620&amp;cid=373271110&amp;did=PRDDM60165&amp;bid=818076003&amp;subj=You%20Could%20Help%20Save%20A%20COVID-19%20Patient&amp;prty=normal&amp;nat=conversion&amp;prod=plasma&amp;sender=American%20Red%20Cross&amp;delvId=375663890" target="_blank">COVID-19&nbsp;Convalescent Plasma Donor Information Page.</a>&nbsp;You could be eligible to help&nbsp;if you:<ol>
 <li>Meet standard blood donation eligibility&nbsp;<a href="http://t.givebloodtoday.redcrossblood.org/r/?id=h30c2d963,16642d12,16309800&amp;med=email&amp;source=bioadobe&amp;campdesc=BHQ_IN_WB_ABO_CCPEmail1_NA1_Active_050620&amp;cid=373271110&amp;did=PRDDM60165&amp;bid=818076003&amp;subj=You%20Could%20Help%20Save%20A%20COVID-19%20Patient&amp;prty=normal&amp;nat=conversion&amp;prod=plasma&amp;sender=American%20Red%20Cross&amp;delvId=375663890" target="_blank">(FAQs)</a></li><li>Have a verified, prior diagnosis&nbsp;of COVID-19</li><li>Are now symptom free and fully recovered&nbsp;from COVID-19</li>
 </ol>Historically, convalescent plasma has been used as a potentially lifesaving treatment when new diseases or infections develop quickly, and no treatments or vaccines are available yet.&nbsp;<a href="http://t.givebloodtoday.redcrossblood.org/r/?id=h30c2d963,16642d12,16309801&amp;med=email&amp;source=bioadobe&amp;campdesc=BHQ_IN_WB_ABO_CCPEmail1_NA1_Active_050620&amp;cid=373271110&amp;did=PRDDM60165&amp;bid=818076003&amp;subj=You%20Could%20Help%20Save%20A%20COVID-19%20Patient&amp;prty=normal&amp;nat=conversion&amp;prod=plasma&amp;sender=American%20Red%20Cross&amp;delvId=375663890" target="_blank">The&nbsp;Red Cross&nbsp;program</a>&nbsp;will allow for efficient distribution of convalescent plasma to wherever it’s needed most across the country. Your plasma may be the key to&nbsp;saving lives.If you have recently recovered from&nbsp;COVID-19,&nbsp;please take a moment to learn more about our convalescent plasma program and fill out our <a href="https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/dlp/plasma-donations-from-recovered-covid-19-patients.html?med=email&amp;source=bioadobe&amp;campdesc=BHQ_IN_WB_ABO_CCPEmail1_NA1_Active_050620&amp;cid=373271110&amp;did=PRDDM60165&amp;bid=818076003&amp;subj=You%20Could%20Help%20Save%20A%20COVID-19%20Patient&amp;prty=normal&amp;nat=conversion&amp;prod=plasma&amp;sender=American%20Red%20Cross&amp;delvId=375663890">online form</a> to help those fighting&nbsp;the virus.

Convalescent COVID plasma donations sought by Red Cross and FDA

MCPHERSON -- Good news from the McPherson County Health Department: only one of the 25 confirmed COVID-19 cases remains in the hospital!

Additionally, 17 of the total confirmed cases have met Kansas Department of Health and Environment recovery guidelines, the health department reported.

MCPHERSON -- Good news from the McPherson County Health Department: only one of the 25 confirmed COVID-19 cases remains in the hospital!Additionally, 17 of the total confirmed cases have met Kansas Department of Health and Environment recovery guidelines, the health department reported.

McPherson County: Only 1 COVID-19 case still in hospital

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — As coronavirus hotspots erupted at major U.S. meatpacking plants, experts criticized extremely tight working conditions that made the factories natural high risk contagion locations. But some Midwestern politicians have pointed the finger at the workers' living conditions, suggesting crowded homes bear some blame.

The comments — including a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice's remark that an outbreak didn't seem to have come from “regular folks” — outraged workers and advocates who slammed them as elitist and critical of immigrants, who make up a big share of America's meatpacking workforce.

And the remarks stood in contrast to public U.S. outpourings of gratitude for other essential workers like police officers, health care professionals and grocery store workers.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, generated ire last month when discussing the closure of a Smithfield pork plant in Sioux Falls that infected 1,000 employees and people who came in contact with the workers, saying “99% of what’s going on today wasn’t happening inside the facility.”

The spread of the virus happened "more at home, where these employees were going home and spreading some of the virus because a lot of these folks who work at this plant live in the community, the same building, sometimes in the same apartment,” she said on Fox News.

Noem's comments created a foundation for blaming virus outbreaks on the meatpackers' home lives instead of conditions at plants, where employees often worked shoulder to shoulder with little to no protective gear as U.S. virus cases surged, said Taneeza Islam, who runs the refugee and immigrant support group South Dakota Voices for Peace.

Her group organized a letter to Noem to ask "her to listen to the people who have been directly impacted because she has not done that yet, which is very telling about her position in terms of being on the side of the people or being on the side of business.”

Noem wasn't alone. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, also a Republican, took heat for remarks last month after a meatpacking plant virus outbreak in his state.

“Well, we see people concentrated together," Ricketts said. "And that’s certainly true with our food processors where you have people together. But it can also be true in households if you have multiple generations of people living together, or a lot of people living in a household.”

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar cited crowded meatpacking worker living conditions in a call last week with members of Congress, according to a story first reported by Politico. Agency spokesman Michael Caputo on Thursday defended Azar's remarks as “nothing more than a statement of the obvious.”

Achut Deng, a Sudanese refugee who works at the Sioux Falls plant, said after Noem's remarks that the comments offended her, calling them “ridiculous.”

Many of Smithfield's Sioux Falls employees live in well-maintained apartment complexes near the plant, some in multi-generational homes so older family members can be cared for. Others have single-family units and Deng, who was infected and recovered, believes she caught the virus at the plant because she lives only with her three children who have been out of school.

In Wisconsin, Supreme Court Chief Justice Patience Roggensack appeared to downplay the impact of an outbreak at the JBS Packerland beef plant in Green Bay while hearing arguments on a lawsuit seeking to strike down the state's stay-at-home order. Coronavirus cases in Brown County, where Green Bay lies, jumped from 60 to about 800 in two weeks, a state government lawyer told justices this week.

“These were due to the meatpacking, though,” responded Roggensack, part of the court's conservative majority. “That’s where Brown County got the flare. It wasn’t just the regular folks in Brown County.”

Christine Neumann Ortiz, executive director of the Wisconsin-based Latino advocacy group Voces de la Frontera, said Roggensack's comments “reflected elitist disdain for workers.”

“It shows she considers their lives less worthy,” Ortiz said. “It’s an abhorrent comment, especially at this moment.”

A court spokesman, Tom Sheehan, said Roggensack was prohibited by court rules from responding.

Many U.S. meat plant workers are Latino but in recent years, particularly in the upper Midwest, African immigrants have taken meatpacking jobs. About 40 languages are spoken by workers at the Sioux Falls plant, the Centers for Disease Control has said.

Ortiz said many Latino and immigrant families with workers in the sector “are very family-oriented” and that could contribute to the virus' spread. But she insisted that the greater threats are workplace conditions and policies she claimed encourage workers to come in sick and do not provide enough worker virus testing.

In South Dakota, Noem said she made her meatpacking company worker living condition comments after the Sioux Falls plant closed and public health officials' focus shifted to stopping the outbreak where the workers lived.

She agreed to speak personally with some meatpacking workers after advocacy groups made the demand. Those calls, organized through Smithfield, were scheduled for Thursday night and Friday.

In Nebraska, meatpacking worker advocates disputed Ricketts' suggestion that an outbreak could have happened because of crowded worker households at the Tyson Foods beef plant in Dakota City, where hundreds were infected.

“The governor’s statement that this is a community issue is completely untrue,” said Rose Godinez, legal counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, and the daughter of retired meatpacking workers.

She said plant workers told her that most employees who tested positive own or rent their homes and in general do not live in crowded, small dwellings.

Godinez said Ricketts' comments appeared aimed at “trying to deflect some of the companies’ failures.”

Blaming workers for workplace safety and illnesses is a longstanding tactic by companies seeking to avoid responsibility, said Celeste Monforton, a Texas State University lecturer and workplace safety expert.

“If these workers are deemed to be critical infrastructure workers, deemed to be essential workers, they deserve the utmost respect, the highest level of protection," she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588342380364.jpeg" alt="Northwest Health testing pork plant workers at Triumph in St. Joseph" />
 <figcaption>Northwest Health testing pork plant workers at Triumph in St. Joseph</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — As coronavirus hotspots erupted at major U.S. meatpacking plants, experts criticized extremely tight working conditions that made the factories natural high risk contagion locations. But some Midwestern politicians have pointed the finger at the workers' living conditions, suggesting crowded homes bear some blame.The comments — including a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice's remark that an outbreak didn't seem to have come from “regular folks” — outraged workers and advocates who slammed them as elitist and critical of immigrants, who make up a big share of America's meatpacking workforce.And the remarks stood in contrast to public U.S. outpourings of gratitude for other essential workers like police officers, health care professionals and grocery store workers.South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, generated ire last month when discussing the closure of a Smithfield pork plant in Sioux Falls that infected 1,000 employees and people who came in contact with the workers, saying “99% of what’s going on today wasn’t happening inside the facility.”The spread of the virus happened "more at home, where these employees were going home and spreading some of the virus because a lot of these folks who work at this plant live in the community, the same building, sometimes in the same apartment,” she said on Fox News.Noem's comments created a foundation for blaming virus outbreaks on the meatpackers' home lives instead of conditions at plants, where employees often worked shoulder to shoulder with little to no protective gear as U.S. virus cases surged, said Taneeza Islam, who runs the refugee and immigrant support group South Dakota Voices for Peace.Her group organized a letter to Noem to ask "her to listen to the people who have been directly impacted because she has not done that yet, which is very telling about her position in terms of being on the side of the people or being on the side of business.”Noem wasn't alone. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, also a Republican, took heat for remarks last month after a meatpacking plant virus outbreak in his state.“Well, we see people concentrated together," Ricketts said. "And that’s certainly true with our food processors where you have people together. But it can also be true in households if you have multiple generations of people living together, or a lot of people living in a household.”U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar cited crowded meatpacking worker living conditions in a call last week with members of Congress, according to a story first reported by Politico. Agency spokesman Michael Caputo on Thursday defended Azar's remarks as “nothing more than a statement of the obvious.”Achut Deng, a Sudanese refugee who works at the Sioux Falls plant, said after Noem's remarks that the comments offended her, calling them “ridiculous.”Many of Smithfield's Sioux Falls employees live in well-maintained apartment complexes near the plant, some in multi-generational homes so older family members can be cared for. Others have single-family units and Deng, who was infected and recovered, believes she caught the virus at the plant because she lives only with her three children who have been out of school.In Wisconsin, Supreme Court Chief Justice Patience Roggensack appeared to downplay the impact of an outbreak at the JBS Packerland beef plant in Green Bay while hearing arguments on a lawsuit seeking to strike down the state's stay-at-home order. Coronavirus cases in Brown County, where Green Bay lies, jumped from 60 to about 800 in two weeks, a state government lawyer told justices this week.“These were due to the meatpacking, though,” responded Roggensack, part of the court's conservative majority. “That’s where Brown County got the flare. It wasn’t just the regular folks in Brown County.”Christine Neumann Ortiz, executive director of the Wisconsin-based Latino advocacy group Voces de la Frontera, said Roggensack's comments “reflected elitist disdain for workers.”“It shows she considers their lives less worthy,” Ortiz said. “It’s an abhorrent comment, especially at this moment.”A court spokesman, Tom Sheehan, said Roggensack was prohibited by court rules from responding.Many U.S. meat plant workers are Latino but in recent years, particularly in the upper Midwest, African immigrants have taken meatpacking jobs. About 40 languages are spoken by workers at the Sioux Falls plant, the Centers for Disease Control has said.Ortiz said many Latino and immigrant families with workers in the sector “are very family-oriented” and that could contribute to the virus' spread. But she insisted that the greater threats are workplace conditions and policies she claimed encourage workers to come in sick and do not provide enough worker virus testing.In South Dakota, Noem said she made her meatpacking company worker living condition comments after the Sioux Falls plant closed and public health officials' focus shifted to stopping the outbreak where the workers lived.She agreed to speak personally with some meatpacking workers after advocacy groups made the demand. Those calls, organized through Smithfield, were scheduled for Thursday night and Friday.In Nebraska, meatpacking worker advocates disputed Ricketts' suggestion that an outbreak could have happened because of crowded worker households at the Tyson Foods beef plant in Dakota City, where hundreds were infected.“The governor’s statement that this is a community issue is completely untrue,” said Rose Godinez, legal counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, and the daughter of retired meatpacking workers.She said plant workers told her that most employees who tested positive own or rent their homes and in general do not live in crowded, small dwellings.Godinez said Ricketts' comments appeared aimed at “trying to deflect some of the companies’ failures.”Blaming workers for workplace safety and illnesses is a longstanding tactic by companies seeking to avoid responsibility, said Celeste Monforton, a Texas State University lecturer and workplace safety expert.“If these workers are deemed to be critical infrastructure workers, deemed to be essential workers, they deserve the utmost respect, the highest level of protection," she said.

Some blame meatpacking workers, not plants, for virus spread

Here's Saline County's COVID-19 update for Friday:

At 11 am, KDHE reported the following in their daily release:

•A total of 6,501 (6,431 confirmed and 70 probable) cases and 152 deaths.

•40,276 negative tests have been received through the KDHE and private labs.

•The age range is 0 years to 99 years (median 42 years of age).

Yesterday, KDHE began reporting “probable” case numbers; which will be included in case totals. A confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by testing for COVID-19. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (serology test) and has COVID-19 symptoms or directly linked to a confirmed case, or b) no lab testing but has COVID-19 symptoms and is also linked to a confirmed case. The two additional cases that were added to Saline County’s total are ones from back in March and early April that were directly linked to a confirmed case; but were not tested. These are not new confirmed positive cases in Saline County. Saline County has 21 confirmed cases and 2 probable cases.

We are working on being able to report on the number of cases that have recovered from COIVD-19.

KDHE issued new criteria on how a person is released from isolation and quarantine. We intend to begin to report those numbers of recovered in Saline County by Monday.

•KDHE issued guidance on instructions for cleaning and disinfection of common spaces in businesses and workplaces.

•Updated Frequently Asked Questions were issued today relating to the Governor’s Ad Astra: A Plan to Reopen and answers to many questions about Phase 1.

Help our community in slowing the spread of this virus. 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>. Stay Safe &amp; Stay Healthy.

Here's Saline County's COVID-19 update for Friday:The Saline County Health Department does not have any additional cases of COVID-19 to report today.At 11 am, KDHE reported the following in their daily release:•A total of 6,501 (6,431 confirmed and 70 probable) cases and 152 deaths.•40,276 negative tests have been received through the KDHE and private labs.•The age range is 0 years to 99 years (median 42 years of age).Yesterday, KDHE began reporting “probable” case numbers; which will be included in case totals. A confirmed case is defined as a person who tested positive by testing for COVID-19. A probable case is defined as a person with: a) presumptive lab evidence (serology test) and has COVID-19 symptoms or directly linked to a confirmed case, or b) no lab testing but has COVID-19 symptoms and is also linked to a confirmed case. The two additional cases that were added to Saline County’s total are ones from back in March and early April that were directly linked to a confirmed case; but were not tested. These are not new confirmed positive cases in Saline County. Saline County has 21 confirmed cases and 2 probable cases.We are working on being able to report on the number of cases that have recovered from COIVD-19.KDHE issued new criteria on how a person is released from isolation and quarantine. We intend to begin to report those numbers of recovered in Saline County by Monday.Announcements:•KDHE announced that beginning Monday, May 11th, the Daily Case Summary will only be released on Monday’s, Wednesday’s, and Friday’s.•KDHE issued guidance on instructions for cleaning and disinfection of common spaces in businesses and workplaces.•Updated Frequently Asked Questions were issued today relating to the Governor’s Ad Astra: A Plan to Reopen and answers to many questions about Phase 1.As we attempt to reopen Saline County, the entire community is counting on each person to follow the below recommendations to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.•It is highly encouraged to continue to wear cloth masks and maintain social distancing.•It is highly encouraged for people to only leave their homes for essentials.•It is highly recommended those employees in any service industry wear PPE (especially cloth masks).•It is highly encouraged to continue telework.•Avoid socializing in person with groups of 10 or more individuals in both indoor and outdoor settings.•Any employees exhibiting symptoms should be required to stay at home and asked to call their health care provider.•It will take the effort to follow the above recommendations from everyone in our community to continue our reopening.Help our community in slowing the spread of this virus. 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>. Stay Safe &amp; Stay Healthy.

Saline County: 21 confirmed, 2 probable cases of COVID-19

Topeka,&nbsp;Kan.&nbsp;–The Shawnee County Health Department (SCHD) has identified some COVID-19 cases linked to the Topeka Service Area on the I-70 Turnpike located at mile marker 188 (just East of Topeka, according to a media relase.

The exposure is specifically designated to the food court and restrooms of the facility. This facility houses a food court which includes the following restaurants: Dunkin Donuts, Hardees, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. The facility is accessible going east and westbound on the I-70 Turnpike.

People who have traveled to food court or used the restrooms of this facility after April 23rd&nbsp;are recommended to contact their primary care provider IF they develop any of the following symptoms within 14 days from the date of their visit fever of 100.4 F or higher,&nbsp;chills, rigors, myalgia (muscle pain or aches, malaise,&nbsp;&nbsp;headache, sore throat, lower respiratory illness (cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing) new olfactory and taste disorders, diarrhea

The facility will remain closed while it is sanitized.

Dr. Gianfranco Pezzino, Shawnee County Health Officer stated, ”While the risk of anyone being infected with coronavirus during a visit at the Turnpike food court is probably very low, it is not zero. We think that the public should know that information and should share it with their healthcare provider if they become sick.”

This investigation is being conducted by the Shawnee County Health Department in collaboration with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Kansas Department of Transportation and the Kansas Turnpike Authority.

As a reminder, human coronaviruses like the one that causes COVID-19 are most commonly spread through coughing and sneezing, personal contact like shaking hands, and touching a surface with the virus and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth. There are simple steps everyone can take to help prevent spreading them:

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Stay home when you are sick and only leave home for essential items.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588891583149.png" alt="Topeka Service area on I-70 Google image" />
 <figcaption>Topeka Service area on I-70 Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>Topeka,&nbsp;Kan.&nbsp;–The Shawnee County Health Department (SCHD) has identified some COVID-19 cases linked to the Topeka Service Area on the I-70 Turnpike located at mile marker 188 (just East of Topeka, according to a media relase.The exposure is specifically designated to the food court and restrooms of the facility. This facility houses a food court which includes the following restaurants: Dunkin Donuts, Hardees, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. The facility is accessible going east and westbound on the I-70 Turnpike.People who have traveled to food court or used the restrooms of this facility after April 23rd&nbsp;are recommended to contact their primary care provider IF they develop any of the following symptoms within 14 days from the date of their visit fever of 100.4 F or higher,&nbsp;chills, rigors, myalgia (muscle pain or aches, malaise,&nbsp;&nbsp;headache, sore throat, lower respiratory illness (cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing) new olfactory and taste disorders, diarrheaThe facility will remain closed while it is sanitized.Dr. Gianfranco Pezzino, Shawnee County Health Officer stated, ”While the risk of anyone being infected with coronavirus during a visit at the Turnpike food court is probably very low, it is not zero. We think that the public should know that information and should share it with their healthcare provider if they become sick.”This investigation is being conducted by the Shawnee County Health Department in collaboration with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Kansas Department of Transportation and the Kansas Turnpike Authority.As a reminder, human coronaviruses like the one that causes COVID-19 are most commonly spread through coughing and sneezing, personal contact like shaking hands, and touching a surface with the virus and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth. There are simple steps everyone can take to help prevent spreading them:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Avoid close contact with people who are sick.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Stay home when you are sick and only leave home for essential items.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Coronavirus cases identified at I-70 service area food court

WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite a massive effort, the nation faces “truly daunting” challenges to deploy millions of coronavirus tests to safely re-open the economy, the head of the National Institutes of Health told lawmakers Thursday.

NIH Director Francis Collins told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee that government and private industry have launched a $2.5 billion, taxpayer-funded effort to develop, manufacture and distribute technology capable of accurately testing millions of people a week by the end of the summer or the fall, before the annual flu season.

<a href="https://apnews.com/64a594728f6e36480ee38cc1502436cc">Widespread availability of testing is seen as critical</a>&nbsp;to reopening the economy because it would allow public health officials to identify and contain a rebound of the virus. It remains a high bar to clear.

“I must tell you, senators, that this is a stretch goal that goes well beyond what most experts think will be possible,” Collins said. “I have encountered some stunned expressions when describing these goals and this timetable to knowledgeable individuals. The scientific and logistical challenges are truly daunting.”

Nonetheless, Collins said “the track record of American ingenuity” gives him optimism. More than three months into the epidemic, the lack of testing is widely acknowledged as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c335958b1f8f6a37b19b421bc7759722">central failing in the nation’s response</a>.

The issue has dogged the White House for weeks. President Donald Trump takes credit for the fact that testing has ramped up dramatically since the early days of the outbreak, when a test from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ran into numerous problems.

But sometimes he also seems uneasy about testing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588938823679.png" alt="NIH Director Francis Collins during Senate testimony Thursday-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>NIH Director Francis Collins during Senate testimony Thursday-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite a massive effort, the nation faces “truly daunting” challenges to deploy millions of coronavirus tests to safely re-open the economy, the head of the National Institutes of Health told lawmakers Thursday.NIH Director Francis Collins told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee that government and private industry have launched a $2.5 billion, taxpayer-funded effort to develop, manufacture and distribute technology capable of accurately testing millions of people a week by the end of the summer or the fall, before the annual flu season.<a href="https://apnews.com/64a594728f6e36480ee38cc1502436cc">Widespread availability of testing is seen as critical</a>&nbsp;to reopening the economy because it would allow public health officials to identify and contain a rebound of the virus. It remains a high bar to clear.“I must tell you, senators, that this is a stretch goal that goes well beyond what most experts think will be possible,” Collins said. “I have encountered some stunned expressions when describing these goals and this timetable to knowledgeable individuals. The scientific and logistical challenges are truly daunting.”Nonetheless, Collins said “the track record of American ingenuity” gives him optimism. More than three months into the epidemic, the lack of testing is widely acknowledged as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c335958b1f8f6a37b19b421bc7759722">central failing in the nation’s response</a>.The issue has dogged the White House for weeks. President Donald Trump takes credit for the fact that testing has ramped up dramatically since the early days of the outbreak, when a test from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ran into numerous problems.But sometimes he also seems uneasy about testing.“We do, by far, the most testing,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “If we did very little testing, we wouldn’t have the most cases. So, in a way, by doing all of this testing, we make ourselves look bad.”The U.S. is currently testing more than a million people a week for COVID-19 and White House coronavirus adviser Dr. Deborah Birx has said that weekly number should rise to 2 million or 2.5 million by the middle of June.But some experts say a million tests per day are needed, or more.“To test every nursing home, and every prison, everyone in an operating room, and some entire classes and campuses and factories, teams at sports events, and to give those tests more than once, we will need millions more tests,” agreed committee chairman Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. “This demand will only grow as the country goes back to work.”Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the panel, put the blame on Trump for persistent problems with testing.“The problem isn’t a lack of innovation—it’s a lack of national leadership, and a plan from the White House. “And when it comes to testing, this administration has had no map, and no one at the wheel.”Congress provided NIH with $1.5 billion to develop tests. To help private industry quickly produce and distribute tests that meet NIH standards, lawmakers gave another $1 billion to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. Known as BARDA, that agency is under scrutiny after its director alleged he was ousted for opposing widespread use of a a malaria drug promoted by Trump to treat coronavirus patients.Collins said the goal is to have highly accurate tests that can provide quick results at the “point-of-care,” such as a doctor’s office or a community health clinic. A special effort is being made to expand testing in minority communities that have taken the brunt of virus deaths.Many of the currently available tests require processing by a central laboratory to get results. Medical technology giant Abbott already has a point-of-care test available. But Collins said there’s a limited supply of the machines, and that they can sometimes fail to detect a patient who is positive. He said Abbott is working to improve its test, but that he thinks NIH might be able to do better.NIH has set up what Collins calls a “shark tank” process to quickly identify promising technologies, and test them. Within the agency, the initiative is formally called Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics, or RADx. It was launched just last week.NIH scientists, along with their counterparts in industry and academia, are looking into tests that can use different types of samples, from nasal swabs, saliva, blood, or exhaled breath.They’re also looking at antigen tests, a form of rapid test that can detect active infection. With time and effort such tests can be modified to be done at home, Collins said, but accuracy has traditionally been a problem.NIH has received more than 1,000 applications putting forth different ideas.___

Coronavirus Update