CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: Lyon County reports nearly 20 new active cases

Lyon County Public Health is announcing 18 new COVID-19 cases as of Monday.

This brings the total number of confirmed and probable positive cases to 426. Public Health is also listing three new recoveries and 78 active cases at this time and increase of 20 since Friday’s report.

Needless to say local health officials say this past weekend was active on the COVID-19 front.

During KVOE’s Newsmaker segment Monday, Health Officer Renee Hively says there were 10 new cases on top of the 10 announced Friday.

Hively says the “super spreader” events have added another layer of work for local health officials as they keep tracking clusters in at least five local businesses. She says it’s still important for people to follow Public Health’s guidance for limiting the impact of COVID-19, including mask usage in public, social distancing and staying home if ill or feeling sick. Failing to do so, Hively says, could put Lyon County under the same restrictions as the stay-home order from late March through April.

Separately, Hively also addressed the situation at The Gym bar which was cited for violating a public health order after opening to serve food Tuesday. Hively says there were several complaints about that decision, not just the one mentioned on the bar’s social media last week.

Emporia city commissioners passed an ordinance in April making health order violations a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine, a month in jail or a combination.

Hively says “the waters are still a bit muddy” when it comes to enforcement of health orders in cases like this, especially with Governor Kelly’s recent decision to turn the state’s phased recovery process into an advisory document instead of an order — and with the Kansas Legislature beginning a special session Wednesday to work out a solution on the state’s emergency powers structure following the governor’s veto last week.

Most area counties are reporting steady numbers coming off the weekend.