Following is the Saline County COVID-19 update with an added bonus of voter registration information.
Saline County continues to have a tremendous uptake in COVID-19 cases. An alarming amount of cases are having mild symptoms. Those with mild illness have continued to work or attend events then eventually get tested and are not staying at home and awaiting their results after testing. A portion of these positive cases report attending gatherings, parties, or traveling to sports tournaments while contagious. These events have been both inside and outside of Saline County.
If you are being tested for COVID-19, you are considered a Person Under Investigation (PUI). The PUI MUST isolate while waiting for results. The PUI should isolate away from anyone in their household. If they are not able to isolate away from the household members by staying in their own room, it is highly recommended that the entire household must quarantine while awaiting results to reduce exposure and potential spread.
If you are notified by the Health Department of being a contact of someone who is positive for COVID-19, you MUST quarantine at home for 14 days. A close contact is defined as any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 10 minutes starting 2 days before illness onset until the time the patient was isolated. If you are a contact and decided to be tested, and it comes back negative, you STILL have to finish your 14-day period because you may become contagious anytime during the rest of the 14 days. We do NOT recommend testing contacts unless symptoms arise or a high-risk individual is involved.
If a person in quarantine does not develop any COVID-19 symptoms, then they are released from quarantine at the end of 14 days. If symptoms do develop during those 14 days, the person is to contact their primary healthcare provider for further evaluation and/or testing. People who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 may be released from isolation at the direction of the Health Department when it has been at least 10 days since the onset of symptoms AND 72 hours since symptoms have resolved. This symptom-based method of returning people to work is preferred to a testing-based method of returning people to work because tests can still remain positive long after the virus is no longer active.
There are 25 new positive COVID-19 cases in Saline County that have been identified since the Wednesday, July 8 report. All cases are associated with other positive cases. The total for the county is now 215, with 143 cases that are actively being monitored by the Health Department, 70 that have recovered, and 2 deaths. The other cases are isolated at home. *KDHE is reporting 192 positives for Saline County, which is incorrect. The total for Saline County is 215.
According to the Kansas Department of Health & Environment, there are now 18,611 cases and 284 deaths statewide. This information can be found at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.
Saline County’s Resolution requiring the wearing of masks or other face coverings in public spaces went into effect yesterday, July 9th. We have updated our website with Frequently Asked Questions as well as printable posters for businesses to use. Additional questions and concerns can be emailed to [email protected].
Announcements:
•The first meeting of the Coronavirus Relief Fund Committee will take place on Monday, July 13th at 11 am. This committee will be working to provide recommendations to the County Commissioners on the Direct Aid Plan that is required to be submitted to the State of Kansas regarding the plans for expending $11,026,434 in Coronavirus Relief Funding as part of the CARES Act. The meeting can be viewed on Saline County’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwwZp_cTSJ3Nepp_5rOGevA
•The deadline to register to vote in the August 4th Primary Election is July 14th. The Saline County Clerk/Election Office will have late-night voter registration on July 13th and 14th from 5 pm to 8 pm. You can check your voter registration, find your polling place, and see a sample ballot online at http://www.voteks.org/. Please contact our office if you have questions 785-309-5820.
These are challenging days for businesses. Much of the exposure to COVID-19 is occurring outside of the workplace. Businesses become severely affected when their employees potentially expose other employees or are unable to work. The best way to keep our businesses open and functional and keep our social interactions available is to maintain a 6-foot physical distance between people and you are required to wear a mask when in public when physical distancing cannot be maintained. Here is what you can do to help us to slow the spread:
•Stay home if you’re sick
•Wear masks in public settings
•Maximize physical distance (6 feet or more) in public settings
•Avoid socializing with large groups
•High-risk individuals should only leave the house for essential needs
•Wash your hands frequently
Only follow official sources to obtain information: www.saline.org/coronavirus or www.kdheks.gov.