As Governor Laura Kelly prepares for the eventual reopening of the state economy, Lyon County Public Health Officer Renee Hively urged businesses to take several steps of their own — even if they aren’t included in the state plan.
During KVOE’s Newsmaker segment Monday, Hively asked businesses to consider extra safety measures as they finalize their reopening plans.
Hively also said Lyon County has made good use of the rapid testing equipment allocated to the county by the state government last week. The equipment’s arrival coincided with COVID-19 clusters developing at four production facilities and a church. Most of the tests are designated for Tyson Foods, but there has been some expansion of testing at Detroit Diesel and Hively says staff are closely watching the situation at other locations, notably Hostess.
Meanwhile, the non-congregant temporary housing announced last week at Super 8 and La Quinta hotels is now being utilized. Emergency Management Director Jarrod Fell says this is now becoming an important option for family members who need to keep working and for a community trying to stay healthy.
Fell says he transported two people to a hotel likely to be used as isolation, although he did not specify. Another person was quarantined at a local hotel before agreements were tentatively set and announced last week.
With a massive influx of cases — over 100 confirmed tests last week alone — and with the contact tracing process that follows, Hively says Public Health has received help from volunteers and the Kansas Army National Guard. Five more staffers are coming to Lyon County to help with contact tracing.
