Now is not the time for large gatherings or lots of people in close quarters, according to Lyon County Public Health Emergency Preparedness Director Jennifer Millbern. Instead, now is the time to re-emphasize social distancing based on recent virus activity.
Millbern spoke on KVOE’s Newsmaker segment about the current COVID-19 situation, which included a sharp spike in new cases Friday and Monday as well as an ongoing jump in active cases.
Millbern says the social distancing approach needs to extend to schools, which is why she was pleased the USD 253 Emporia Board of Education decided to revisit last week’s decision to increase attendance and the frequency of that attendance by students at Emporia Middle School and Emporia High School. She says it’s best to stay with a 25-percent attendance once a week for now instead of 50 percent twice a week.
Public Health is now at the point where it has reached out to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for staffing help, in part because several Public Health workers have developed coronavirus and in part because contact tracers are tracking as many as 40 close contacts for each positive case instead of 10 or less. Earlier this week, KVOE News told you the increase in new and active cases has come at a time when fewer people are cooperating with contact tracers. That hasn’t changed. Also, Millbern also says people are getting increasingly belligerent with staff trying to get more information on the current situation.
