KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman said Wednesday he believes the state is heading for a “bad convergence” of circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic going into Fourth of July weekend.
A graph displayed during the news conference showed COVID-19 case numbers trending downward from late April to late May.
When the state’s Ad Astra Recovery Plan became guidance rather than an order, the graph shows case numbers once again trended upward.
Norman said at this stage of the pandemic, the solution isn’t a cure — it’s prevention.
At least two of four key prevention measures are at risk, Norman said. Those measures include testing capacity, rapid case investigation, aggressive contact tracing, and isolation and quarantining.
Norman said he is concerned with testing capacity. Though the KDHE lab remains in a good position, Norman said he knows that’s not the case nationwide.
At one high-capacity lab, Norman said, tests are taking four to five days to turn around, a timeline that was previously two to three days.
Norman called that “an ominous indicator for the overall testing that’s happening throughout the United States.”
Earlier Wednesday, the Johnson County, Kansas, Department of Health and Environment said it was struggling with delays in test results, too, as labs are “overwhelmed.”
Norman’s second concern was the recently-passed House Bill 2016 as it relates to contact tracing.
Voted on June 4 during the special legislative session, Norman said the bill contains provisions “that are going to be a problem for stemming the tide of this COVID-19,” such as “impediments to doing contact tracing.”
“This house bill requires us to make rules and regulations that will — I have no question about it — will interfere with contact tracing,” Norman said.
Norman urged Kansans not to gather in large numbers on the Fourth of July.
“While our Fourth of July celebrations will undoubtedly be a little different this year, I want to remind everyone of the importance of safety,” Norman said. “Please remain vigilant. Now is not the time to let your guard down. You are your own preparedness.”
Norman said he believes Kansas remains in a good position when it comes to rapid case investigation and quarantining.
According to data 41 Action News gathered from the state and local departments, there have been more than 15,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Kansas since the beginning of the pandemic.
In accordance with the upward trend depicted in KDHE’s graph, the state saw an increase of more than 500 cases for the third time in six days.
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