Following is the Saline County COVID-19 update for Wednesday.
Sadly, we have been notified of 3 additional deaths related to COVID-19. There are 131 new positive COVID-19 cases in Saline County since our last update on Monday, November 23rd. The total number of positive cases for Saline County is now 2,277 with 599 cases that are actively being monitored by the Health Department, 1,658 that have recovered, and a total of 20 deaths. Salina Regional Health Center notified us that they have 34 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Our dashboard has been updated with the latest information:
●Mobile Device Users: https://arcg.is/yjPT1
●Desktop Users: https://arcg.is/1qHnb0
Health Department staff continue to be overwhelmed and several days behind with contacting new positive cases and close contacts. We have added staff and some cases being routed to contact tracers at KDHE, but still, we are behind. Please, we ask for your patience. If you have tested positive or you are known to be a close contact, please do not call the Health Department unless at least 3 days have passed and you have not heard from us. We understand that for both employees and employers, quarantine or isolation documentation may be necessary to verify a leave of absence. However, with being several days behind, we are unable to produce the necessary documentation immediately.
According to the Kansas Department of Health & Environment, there are now 147,797 cases and 1,503 deaths statewide. This information can be found at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.
Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, updated positive case numbers will not be distributed on Friday, November 27th. Our next regular scheduled press release will be issued on Monday, November 30th.
The safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving this year is to celebrate with people in your household. Thanksgiving gatherings with family and friends can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or even the flu. Following the proven public health guidance to stop the spread of COVID-19:
- Wash your hands often, for at least 20 seconds with warm soapy water. Use hand sanitizer if you do not have access to soap and water.
- Maintain physical distance between yourself and others of at least 6 feet or more.
- Wear masks in public spaces as required by City Ordinance and County Resolution. You must cover your nose and mouth for masks to be effective.
- By Public Health Order, gatherings are limited to 15 persons or less (with certain exceptions for establishments).
- Sanitize frequently touched surfaces and areas such as doorknobs, handles, cell phones, tablets, etc.
- Stay home if you are sick. Regardless if you think it may be a cold, it could be allergies, but it also could be something worse.
Only follow official sources to obtain information: www.saline.org/coronavirus or www.kdheks.gov.