By the Associated Press and KFDI News:
Kansas has reported another seven-day record for new coronavirus cases. The state Department of Health and Environment on Monday added 7,234 confirmed and probable cases to the state’s tally for the pandemic since Friday, increasing it to 122,741.
The department also reported another 10 COVID-19-related deaths over three days, bringing the total to 1,266 since the pandemic reached the state in early March.
The state had a record average of 2,741 new cases a day for the seven days ending Monday. Kansas reported 19,188 new coronavirus cases over the past seven days. That’s the equivalent of one in every 152 residents testing positive.
Sedgwick County reported an additional 550 cases on Monday, with a total of 18,394 for the pandemic. The county’s death count remains at 140. The county has conducted 169,976 tests during the pandemic, and the positive testing rate is now 25.1 percent.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has been talking with Republican leaders in the legislature about encouraging the use of masks to limit the spread of the virus. She put out a message on Twitter on Monday:
Many of our hospitals are reaching capacity and are running into staffing issues. Please keep our health care workers in mind, and make smart choices to protect our communities.
Wichita hospitals have been at or near capacity in recent weeks and there are concerns about having enough staffing to handle new cases.
