Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced Monday that more than a third of the state’s eligible residents have received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Kelly said this is a significant milestone for the state, and more evidence that “we are well on our way back to that sense of normal we’ve been seeking for over a year.”
The Centers for Disease Control report that 37.7 percent of Kansans have been vaccinated with one dose, and 22.9 percent of Kansans have completed their vaccine series.
The state is making the COVID-19 vaccine available to all Kansans 16 years of age and older, moving into the final phase of the vaccination plan several weeks ahead of schedule. Governor Kelly is cautioning, however, that the pandemic isn’t over. She is urging all Kansans to get vaccinated and to continue wearing masks, practicing social distancing and avoiding large groups.
The governor said no-cost COVID-19 testing will continue to be available through the end of the year to everyone at community testing sites across Kansas.
The state of Kansas was reporting 483 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, with no new deaths and 20 new hospitalizations since Friday. Sedgwick County was reporting 41 new cases since Sunday, with no new deaths, and the positive testing rate was 3.2 percent.
