A new coronavirus cluster designation is putting more attention on Lyon County Public Health’s decision to not name cluster locations.
On Monday, Public Health announced a bars or restaurants cluster for the first time. Two other categories — private industry and long-term care — remain active, with a prior category for meatpacking announced earlier.
On KVOE’s Newsmaker segment Tuesday, Public Health Emergency Preparedness Director Jennifer Millbern said the original thought was to name clusters — until there was sharp blowback at the local and state levels.
Millbern says businesses, nonprofits or events may be singled out when community health is at risk, especially if it’s hard to identify close contacts.
Currently, bars or restaurants category have five total cases, all of which are active. Private industry has five active cases and one death. Long-term care, meanwhile, has 37 active cases and eight deaths with another eight deaths pending cause of death notice from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
