Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman was the latest health expert to wish residents a merry — safe and socially distanced — Christmas Tuesday.
During Governor Laura Kelly’s weekly press briefing Tuesday, Norman stated that Kansans should enjoy their holiday, however, like many experts he advised keeping any gatherings small and limited to immediate family only. According to Norman residents should keep all holiday meals small and limited to just those who live within the same household.
Additionally, he suggests preparing and delivering meals to family members outside of your household and holding virtual dinners rather than in-person gatherings.
Norman also noted the state has yet to see any major surge in cases following the Thanksgiving holiday and credited the personal responsibility shown by Kansas residents as the main contributor to that trend. Norman also stressed for residents to continue those actions during the Christmas holiday to help continue keeping spread and increases lowered throughout the state in the coming weeks.
Ahead of Norman’s guidance, Governor Kelly offered a brief update on the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plan. She says the state is currently anticipating a shipment of 49,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine — which just recently received emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration — by the end of this week.
The second round of Pfizer vaccines, 17 and a half thousand to be exact, are also anticipated to arrive in the state at some point this week. Additional vaccine shipments from both companies are anticipated next week.
