KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday released a list of case clusters identified by entity name and location.
The department will release an updated cluster list each Wednesday which contains the type, facility, city or state, county and number of cases of a cluster.
KDHE will not release personal identifying information, according to a statement on its COVID-19 dashboard website.
Previously, the state had only been releasing cluster information by categories, such as schools, hospitals and nursing or rehabilitation facilities.
Secretary Dr. Lee Norman said the reasoning for releasing the information now is twofold: transparency and individual empowerment.
“The release of this information allows for more transparency as we get numerous requests from concerned citizens about the exact locations of COVID-19 clusters,” Norman said at his weekly press briefing.
When Kansans know the locations of clusters, Norman said he hopes they feel empowered to make decisions that could help slow the spread of the virus and better assess their own personal risk.
“If an individual sees that locations they regularly visit are on the cluster list, they will have a better sense of how they are increasing their own personal risk and perhaps make some individual decisions to reduce the spread of the disease by the choices they make,” Norman said.
The state had 177 active clusters, with a total of 5,099 cases, 192 hospitalizations and 63 deaths as of Wednesday afternoon.
In the Kansas City area, clusters have been identified at the following locations:
Johnson County:
- AdventHealth Care Center Overland Park (23)
- Delmar Gardens of Overland Park (52)
- Evergreen Community of Johnson County (14)
- Homestead of Overland Park (8)
- Lakeview Village - Long Term Care (11)
- Mission Chateau Senior Living (7)
- Nottingham Health & Rehabilitation (5)
- Shawnee Gardens Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center (19)
- Stratford Commons Memory Care Community (24)
- Sunrise of Leawood (7)
Wyandotte County:
- Bonner Springs Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (51)
- Ignite Medical Resort (18)
- Law River Care & Rehabilitation (18)
- Medicalodges Post Acute Care Center (55)
- Amazon Fulfillment Center (42)
- We Buy BlaKCK event (9)
- Dynasty Volleyball (6)
Douglas County:
- Bridge Haven Memory Care (8)
- Pioneer Ridge Health & Rehab (46)
- Baker University Men’s Soccer (6)
- University of Kansas Football Team (14)
No active clusters were reported in Leavenworth County in Wednesday’s report.
In addition to the KU football team’s outbreak of 14 cases in Douglas County, Kansas State University’s football team represented a cluster of 11 cases on Riley County.
As of Wednesday afternoon, both teams were still planning to play scheduled games on Saturday.
KU Athletics issued the following statement to 41 Action News:
“The KDHE information shared today stating 14 active COVID-19 cases for the KU football team is the total of the previous 28 days of positive test results within the football program, which includes coaches, support staff, student workers and student-athletes. Currently, there are three active COVID-19 cases among football student-athletes. Saturday’s game vs. Coastal Carolina remains as scheduled at 9 p.m. on FS1.”
The Kansas Chamber of Commerce earlier Wednesday said it and a number of other business coalitions sent a letter to Gov. Laura Kelly asking her not to move forward with the state's plan to release cluster location information.
"We are unsure what the benefit of this disclosure offers, other than a public shaming of businesses where an outbreak occurs," Kansas Chamber President and CEO Alan Cobb said in a statement.
Cobb said Kelly's focus should lie elsewhere right now.
"Rather than public shaming businesses, some who are barely able to keep their doors open because of COVID-19 related restrictions, the governor and her administration should focus their energies on our state's economic recovery and what they can do to help businesses stay open. In times of crises, Kansans work together. They don't tear down others," Cobb wrote.
Monday, Kelly said the list will keep Kansans "better informed about the threat of COVID-19 in their communities."
The statewide list of COVID-19 clusters is available on KDHE's website.
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