MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Emergency medical workers in Kansas have written to Gov. Laura Kelly saying they lack adequate protective gear and that their workers compensation doesn’t cover them if they become infected with the coronavirus or need to be quarantined.
The Kansas Emergency Medical Services Association said in a letter sent last week that EMS providers are very concerned that they will be “severely financially impacted” if they are exposed to the virus. Some are volunteers, while others are part-time workers. The advocacy group sent the letter to journalists this week.
It asked Kelly to issue an executive order to cover lost wages and the cost of health care for workers on the front line who fall ill or must be quarantined.
“Kansas workers compensation does not cover communicable disease infections even though EMS and other healthcare providers are clearly putting themselves in harms’ way to deliver much needed care,” the letter says.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Kelly has responded.
FACE MASKS
Health officials in Kansas are urging residents to wear cloth face coverings when they go out in public to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Kelly said in a Facebook post Tuesday that new evidence suggests people are able to transmit the virus to others before they show any symptoms. President Donald Trump issued a similar recommendation last week.
Topeka-area health officials offered similar guidance to retail workers on Monday. Shawnee County health officer Gianfranco Pezzino said retailers should limit the number of customers in a store to no more than five for each 1,000 square feet (93 square meters) at a time. He said customers should be admitted into stores on a “one-out, one in” basis once a store reaches its capacity, The Topeka Capital-Journal reports.
CORONAVIRUS CASES
Statewide, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19,the disease caused by the virus, grew Tuesday to 1,426 cases, up 50 from Monday. The number of deaths increased by seven to 69.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
At the University of Kansas Health System, the number of inpatients dropped to 29 Tuesday from 31 Monday. Twelve are in the ICU and nine are on ventilators, according to a news release.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at the health system, said the curve has been flattened, at least in the Kansas City area. But he added that the biggest risk is returning to normal too quickly.
His remarks came after Trump insisted Monday that he has “total” authority to decide how and when to loosen restrictions — a notion considered at odds with the Constitution, which delegates such matters to the states.
Kelly said Monday that Kansas would move “back to normal as the science allows.”