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