Wha t We Know Now - Community Care Network of Kansas
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Wh a t We Kn ow Now
July 28, 2021
A compilation of the latest news
surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic from
the Community Care Network of Kansas.
Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays. Visit our COVID-19 Resources page
for complete, updated information.
Community Care Member Update
Today’s Spotlight is on Vaccinated
Individuals across the state. Their
willingness to protect themselves and
others simply by getting a COVID-19 vaccine
shot or two has the state approaching the
50% mark of all Kansans having at least one
dose. We need to reach that milestone and
then keep pushing.
If these same vaccinated individuals could convince even one reluctant family member or friend to get
inoculated, the virus wouldn’t have a chance in the Sunflower State. We need everyone onboard to
bring an end to this coronavirus pandemic.
From KDHE/Governor’s Office/Statehouse
www.communitycareks.org 7.28.2021
In a late Wednesday afternoon news
conference, Governor Kelly announced that
beginning Monday, August 2, all state
employees will be required to wear masks if
in common areas of state buildings, and
when they are not able to socially distance.
In addition, anyone entering state buildings
or facilities will be required to mask up.
Other significant points from the news
conference:
• Governor Kelly had harsh words for
politicians who spread
misinformation or remain silent in
the face of false information about
COVID. Echoing Alabama Gov. Kay
Ivey’s recent statement to start
blaming the unvaccinated, she said
that similar blame needs to be applied to these politicians.
• Gov. Kelly said that the continued spread of COVID is a self-inflicted problem.
• Later this week the state will be issuing guidance to local school boards regarding how to
protect school children, especially those too young to receive the vaccine.
• In response to a question about mandating vaccines for state employees, Gov. Kelly said that
she’s following the CDC guidance, which did not address mandatory vaccinations.
• The state will be announcing some form of enticement/incentive for vaccination. She noted that
other states’ efforts to implement lotteries or similar large prizes have been of only limited
effectiveness, in part because the payouts aren’t immediate. She said that any reward has to be
“immediate and spontaneous.”
• She said that everything in today’s announcement is within her authority and doesn’t require
the approval of the Legislative Coordinating Council.
Latest statistics: 330,932 positive cases, 5,247 deaths, 11,617 hospitalizations and 17 MIS-C cases (Multi-
system Inflammatory Syndrome in Children associated with COVID-19). Since Monday, there have been
2,177 new cases, 4 deaths and 76 hospitalizations reported.
According to the Kansas WebIZ vaccination tracker (here), 2,532,701 doses have been administered in
Kansas out of the 2,991,240 doses distributed. 1,397,885 people (48.0% of the population) have had
their first dose and 1,134,817 (42.0%) have completed the vaccine series.
The next COVID-19 Update for Local Partners webinar will be from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. (CST) Thursday,
July 29. Dial-in: (312) 626-6799; ID: 349 823 849; Password: KDHECOVID.
From the White House COVID-19 Team
www.communitycareks.org 7.28.2021
UPDATE, https://beta.healthdata.gov/browse?tags=covid-19-spr
The latest state profile report from Washington shows Kansas:
• In the light red zone for new case rate with 100 per 100,000 population, ranked 40th in the
nation;
• In the orange zone for test positivity with 9.4%, ranked 40th;
• In the yellow zone for hospitalizations with 7.0 confirmed and suspected admissions per 100
beds, ranked 36th;
• In the yellow zone for rate of COVID-19 deaths with 0.8 per 100,000 populating, ranked 40th;
• 1,479,199 people received at least one vaccine dose (50.8% of total population);
• 1,261,681 people fully vaccinated (43.3% of total population, 37th in the nation); and
• With a “high” community transmission level.
From HRSA/Bureau of Primary Health Care
BPHC issued a bulletin encouraging health centers to help inform patients about rent assistance
resources, in light of the expiration of the federal moratorium on evictions at the end of this week. The
bulletin links to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Rental Assistance Finder, along with
promotional material and sample social media messages that centers can use to inform patients about
rental assistance resources.
On Tuesday’s Today with Macrae call, BPHC mentioned availability of payments under the DATA 2000
Waiver Training Payment program. FQHCs and RHCs may receive up to $3,000 per eligible practitioner
who has completed the training required to offer buprenorphine to treat patients with opioid use
disorders. To be eligible, practitioners must have obtained their waiver on or after January 1, 2019.
While there is no deadline to apply, payments are made on a first-come, first-served basis until all funds
have been expended. Application for payment is submitted in EHB. Please see the DATA 2000 Waiver
Training Payment Program FAQs (here) or contact the program at DATA2000waiverpayments@hrsa.gov
for application instructions or more information.
From the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
HHS and the Department of Justice issue guidance on “Long COVID” and disability rights under ADA.
Read the news release here and the guidance here. [More on this in the Media Reports section].
From the National Institutes of Health
NIH is following children with MIS-C for five years to understand thus COVID-related illness. (here)
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The CDC issued new updates:
• The CDC updated its guidance for fully vaccinated people, recommending that people living in
areas of high or substantial community transmission wear masks indoors. The guidance also
recommends universal masking in schools, regardless of vaccination status. Nationally, nearly 64
www.communitycareks.org 7.28.2021percent of all counties are considered to be areas of high or substantial community
transmission. 84 of the 105 Kansas counties (80%) fall into this category. You can check
individual counties’ statuses here.
• The CDC also issued a Health Alert Network Health Advisory stressing the “urgent need to
increase COVID-19 vaccination coverage (i.e., the percentage of the population fully vaccinated)
across the United States to prevent surges in new infections that could increase COVID-19
related morbidity and mortality, overwhelm healthcare capacity, and widen existing COVID-19-
related health disparities.” The guidance includes specific recommendations for clinicians and
healthcare facilities. Read the advisory here.
• Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report update advises implementing layered COVID-19
prevention strategies in the context of varying levels of transmission and vaccination across
states and counties. Read the guidance here.
From the National Association of Community Health Clinics
This month, NACHC launched a new podcast series, Health Centers on the Front Lines: Fighting COVID-
19, chronicling the role of health centers meeting this historic public health moment with courage,
dedication, and no small amount of humanity. The first episode features Albany Area Primary Health
Care, serving a rural Georgia county that ranked fourth globally for COVID-19 deaths per capita last
summer. Register here.
NACHC’s Grassroots Advocacy Team urges continued vigilance in mask wearing and taking other
precautions, and asks health centers to share with them stories about how CHCs are offering hope in
challenging times. Stories should be sent to grassroots@nachc.org.
From Media Reports
The VA is the first federal agency to mandate vaccines for its health professionals (USA Today).
Some Americans with ‘long Covid’ may qualify for federal disability resources, Biden says by Annika Kim
Constantino at CNBC.
More than 400 health organizations, including NACHC, are calling on congress to make pandemic-era
telehealth measures permanent. Read their letter here.
Governor Kelly retains emergency COVID powers after a Johnson County judge refuses to set aside his
ruling that new law is unconstitutional. (Kansas City Star).
Area communities respond to the revised CDC guidance:
www.communitycareks.org 7.28.2021• Kansas City, MO reinstates mask mandate while Johnson and Wyandotte county commissions
will meet to consider response (here).
• Shawnee, Douglas, and Lyon health departments issue recommendations in line with CDC
guidance (here and here).
www.communitycareks.org 7.28.2021You can also read
