photograph by: Related Press
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly discusses the COVID-19 pandemic throughout a Statehouse information convention, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 on the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. (AP Photograph/John Hanna)
TOPEKA — Kansas anticipates getting at the very least $1.1 billion from the most recent federal coronavirus aid bundle and expects to spend about half of it on Okay-12 colleges, greater schooling and grants for youngster care, state information reveals.
About $168 million is earmarked for testing, tracing and mitigation and one other $26 million is deliberate for vaccine distribution, in response to information offered by J.G. Scott, director of the Kansas Legislative Analysis Division. How the cash is spent is dictated by federal legislation.
“The pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for all of us, however these funds are a step in the appropriate course by reinvesting in our state’s basis to rebuild a more healthy, stronger Kansas,” mentioned Gov. Laura Kelly in a information launch.
The brand new funding, which follows $1.03 billion in federal help obtained final yr, arrived as Kansas labored to hurry up vaccinations. Kelly obtained her second dose Wednesday and used the event to induce continued warning, saying “all of us should stay vigilant.”
This week, the state moved past simply vaccinating well being care employees and residents of long-term care services. The second section contains these 65 and older, prisoners and important employees reminiscent of police and academics, though particular person counties get to determine who goes first inside that group. Demand has been sturdy and who goes first has proved controversial.
In Topeka, members of the Stormont Vail Well being board and its fundraising board had been allowed to obtain vaccinations in the course of the first section, The Kansas Information Service reported. Spokesman Matt Lara mentioned board members obtained the pictures as a result of they govern the hospital and its each day operations, though he pressured that employees who see sufferers had been vaccinated first.
In Lawrence, a hospital spokeswoman mentioned LMH Well being has taken a distinct strategy. Amy Northrop, director of neighborhood relations for LMH, mentioned the hospital has taken no particular actions to supply the vaccine to members of the hospital’s board of trustees or the hospital’s endowment basis board. She mentioned these board members additionally should not thought of staff of the hospital, and thus weren’t eligible to obtain vaccinations which have been put aside for workers of LMH Well being.
Nonetheless, Northrop additionally mentioned it was attainable that some board members had obtained the vaccination as a result of of their non-public lives they had been eligible below one of many provisions outlined within the section 1 vaccination plan accepted by the state. As an example, a few of the board members are healthcare professionals, which might have certified them below the section 1 vaccination plan.
Northrop additionally offered additional particulars about how the hospital has vaccinated its staff. She mentioned all members of the LMH workers, whatever the place they maintain are eligible for the vaccinations.
“Vaccine is accessible to all LMH Well being workers, together with our contracted staff,” Northrop mentioned by way of e-mail.
In different hospital associated information, state officers say they’re seeing some optimistic tendencies with affected person numbers. The excellent news is that hospital capability and affected person switch occasions have been bettering, mentioned Dr. Richard Watson, of Cheyenne Mountain Software program, whose software program was used to assist handle the transfers, The Wichita Eagle studies.
One hassle spot has been Wichita, the place general COVID-19 affected person numbers are down however ICUs stay below pressure.
“I believe it is because they ended up taking much more of the high-acuity sufferers, they usually’ve simply held on longer within the system,” Watson mentioned. “We’re nonetheless relying on the area to proceed to make the most of good practices to mitigate that.”
As numbers enhance, the Shawnee County Well being Division determined to loosen some COVID-19 restrictions and is permitting organized sports activities to apply and play video games; highschool athletics should not topic to this well being order. The earlier well being order solely allowed organized sports activities groups to apply, The Topeka Capital-Journal studies.
