Johnson County doctors have had limited access to COVID-19 tests so far. State officials say that should change soon

With limited access to test kits in Kansas and Missouri, physicians in Johnson County say they’ve been operating under strict guidelines about who can get screened for coronavirus infection. But state health officials suggest the expansion of testing could be in the offing in the coming days.
Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Lee Norman said at a press conference Monday afternoon that Kansas is now conducting 150 to 200 COVID-19 tests per day, describing the number of kits available in the state as “enough for now.”
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)

2020-03-18T08:21:35-05:00March 18, 2020|News|

Overland Park council advances idea of toll lanes on U.S. Highway 69 for further study

A proposal to build toll lanes down the middle of a part of U.S. Highway 69 will move forward for a deeper study, the Overland Park City Council has decided.
The council, meeting as a committee of the whole, learned Monday that an initial study shows that the pay lanes would reap enough for the toll equipment. In one scenario, toll lanes would also pay for some of the construction cost.
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)

2020-03-18T08:21:11-05:00March 18, 2020|News|

Leawood says resident who prompted closure of city hall has tested positive for COVID-19

A resident suspected of having contracted the coronavirus who visited Leawood City Hall last week has tested positive for the disease, the city confirmed this afternoon.
Leawood announced on Friday it was closing city hall until further notice “after the city learned of a possible COVID-19/coronavirus exposure.” The administration said today that the facility would remain closed tomorrow, Tuesday, March 17, as work continues to disinfect the site.
“The residents and city employees who were in direct contact with the subject are being notified by county and state health officials. City employees are following every recommendation of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment,” reads a statement from the city. “The Mayor and City Council want to express their deep appreciation to our residents for their display of patience and calmness during this extraordinary period.”
(Read more: Prairie Village Post)

2020-03-18T08:20:29-05:00March 18, 2020|News|

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly freezes home and business evictions during coronavirus threat

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has quietly signed a sweeping executive order freezing mortgage foreclosures and rent evictions in Kansas during the global coronavirus pandemic.
“This administration will do whatever it can to assist Kansans in these challenging times, and that includes allowing Kansans to retain their homes and businesses to avoid immediate danger to their health, safety and welfare,” the order reads.
“In order to mitigate the economic effects of the spread of COVID-19, I hereby direct and order all financial institutions operating in Kansas to temporarily suspend the initiation of any mortgage foreclosure efforts or judicial proceedings and any commercial or residential eviction efforts until May 1, 2020,” the order continued.
(Read more: Local News |)

2020-03-18T08:19:49-05:00March 18, 2020|News|

Health department director: Obeying quarantine order is ’patriotic duty’

Saying it’s a "patriotic duty," Shawnee County’s health department director encouraged residents Tuesday to obey an order issued by the county health officer requiring anyone meeting any of five specific criteria to self-quarantine for 14 days in an effort to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus."I’m appealing to everyone’s sense of community and duty to follow these rules and do the right thing," said health department director Linda Ochs.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)

2020-03-18T08:35:16-05:00March 18, 2020|News|

Kansas orders all K-12 schools to close for the rest of the school year

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has ordered all of the state’s K-12 schools to close for the remainder of the school year, moving instruction online as the state responds to the coronavirus pandemic.

Gov. Kelly and the state Department of Education held a news conference Tuesday afternoon to discuss developments and recommendations related to COVID-19.

“This difficult decision comes comes after close consultation with the education professionals here today who represent local school boards, school administrators and local teachers,” the governor said.

(Read more: KAKE – News)

2020-03-17T17:51:07-05:00March 17, 2020|News|

Talking about The Thing

Yes, The Thing touches everything.
COVID-19 affects the muni bond world in some fairly obvious ways. The general mandate is “everybody do less.” Decreasing activity in general translates to decreased business revenues and decreased tax revenues, which means less money available to repay bonds. This has set the disclosure world ablaze, as securities lawyers ponder what to say to the market about the pandemic. That very practical question is far beyond the bounds of this blog and will be dealt with ad nauseum elsewhere, such as this piece in The Bond Buyer.
(Read more: The Public Finance Tax Blog)

2020-03-18T08:43:49-05:00March 17, 2020|News|

Dealing with the School Shutdown: What do parents do now?

It’s a new reality–one we really couldn’t see coming. Concerns over the spread of COVID-19 prompted Kansas Governor Laura Kelly to order the closure of schools statewide for the remainder of the school year. It’s the first order of its kind in a nation scrambling to stop the spread.Online learning will be taking place statewide, but kids won’t be in classrooms. What is a parent to do?
(Read more: KMBC)

2020-03-18T08:30:22-05:00March 17, 2020|News|

Can Local Governments Enforce Quarantines? Should They?

As states confirm more cases of the new coronavirus disease, local health officials are requesting that people who have tested positive and those who’ve come in close contact with them isolate themselves at home for 14 days. Many states have laws that give health department directors the authority to enforce a quarantine on individuals who pose a threat to public health. And if people defy a court-ordered quarantine, they could face fines and criminal charges. Health officials rarely need a court order to require people to remain at home. But after learning that the father of a 20-year-old woman who tested positive for COVID-19 took his younger daughter to a high school dance, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said the county could seek one.
(Read more: KCUR)

2020-03-18T08:29:19-05:00March 17, 2020|News|
Go to Top