By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY
Salina Post
During their regular meeting this morning, Saline County Commissioners took no action on the county's mask mandate, leaving the order in place for at least another two weeks.
County Health Officer Jason Tiller told the commissioners that within the past three weeks, the county added 1,192 new confirmed COVID-19 cases.
"And unfortunately, in the last three weeks, we've also doubled the number of deaths in the county from COVID-19 since our first case at the end of March," he said.
Tiller also told commissioners that the health department is investigating a number of COVID-19 clusters.
"We have about 30 different clusters that we're currently investigating, and they range anywhere from long-term care facilities to businesses to family gatherings to just pretty much the entire gamut," Tiller said. "At this point, I really almost probably should say just Saline County as a cluster since it is everywhere."
Tiller noted that Salina Regional Health Center had also seen a "significant spike" in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations they have. He said that as of Monday, SRHC had 34 COVID-19 cases.
Tiller provided the commissioners with several charts about COVID-19 in the county, noting that already in the first week of December Saline County has as many COVID-19 cases as it had in all of October. He also discussed the number of COVID-19 deaths in the county.
"November has not been kind to Saline County in terms of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. December's not looking much better to start with, unfortunately," Tiller said.
According to Tiller, specific information about the availability of a vaccine in Saline County is not yet available, but will be disseminated to the public once it is.
"OK, I mean the proof's in the pudding here people. I think the community in general has stepped up their efforts to wear masks and stay at home and lay low," said Commission Chair Robert Vidricksen. "There's still those 10 percent or whatever that number is that don't wish to abide by that and people, you're putting everyone else at peril when you're not wearing a mask because it's spreading the virus."
At the conclusion of Tiller's presentation, the commissioners took no action, leaving in place the mask mandate until the next review.
In other county business, commissioners:
●approved the purchase of copiers for Administrative Resource Center, the county appraiser's office, and the county attorney's office
●approved the renewal of Mercer Liability Insurance coverage for the health department.
●approved the issuance of a letter to the Kansas Department of Transportation formally asking that the county's new radio system be connected to the state's radio system core. Hannah Stambaugh, deputy county administrator, said the county's radio system project was still on track for 2021.
●consented to the City of Salina issuing industrial revenue bonds (IRBs) for the Great Plains Manufacturing expansion to the Signify/Phillips Lighting plant south of town. Because the property currently is outside the city limits, the county commission must give its consent before the city can issue the IRBs, according to the meeting packet information. County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes told commissioners that while the city plans to annex the plant property, Great Plains had requested that the IRB issuance move forward rather than wait on the annexation.
●Smith-Hanes also told commissioners that the county's swearing-in ceremony was scheduled for Jan. 11. He said this year's event will be different because of the pandemic. There will be no reception afterward, he noted. Specific details about the ceremony will be provided at a later date, Smith-Hanes added.
To watch a replay of the county commission meeting, click here.