Number of COVID-19 cases jump in Wyandotte County

More expanded COVID-19 testing will begin in Wyandotte County next week.

MORE EXPANDED COVID-19TESTING WILL BEGIN INWYANDOTTE COUNTYNEXT WEEK.THE COUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENT WILL BETESTING OUTSIDE ITS ANNAVENUE HEADQUARTERSIN DOWNTOWN K-C-KMONDAY THROUGH FRIDAYFROM 2 TO 5 PM.41 ACTION NEWSINVESTIGATOR ANDYALCOCK TAKES A CLOSERLOOK AT THE IMPACT THEVIRUS IS HAVING THERE.DIA, BASED ONPOPULATION ESTIMATES,WYANDOTTE IS EASILY THEHARDEST HIT COUNTY INOUR AREA WITH ONE CASEFOR EVERY 607 PEOPLE.BY COMPARISON,JACKSON COUNTY HASONE CASE FOR EVERYTWO-THOUSAND PEOPLEAND JOHNSON COUNTY,ONE CASE FOR EVERY 2346PEOPLE.AND DUE TO LIMITEDTESTING, THOSE CASESARE JUST THE ONES WEKNOW ABOUT.A YOUNG WOMAN NAMEDDAJA TOLD US SHE WENTTO THE WYANDOTTECOUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENT HOPING TOGET A CHECK UP AS AWALK-IN PATIENT.HOWEVER, THE CLINICTHERE IS ONLY TAKINGPATIENTS BYAPPOINTMENT.DAJA IS CURRENTLY ACAFETERIA WORKER FORTHE WYANDOTTE COUNTYSCHOOLS -- AND ISWAITING FOR HERUNEMPLOYMENT CHECKSTO START ARRIVING.SHE DOESN'T KNOWANYONE IN KCK WITH THEVIRUS.BUT COUNTY INTERIMPUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTORTERRIE GARRISON IS VERYCONCERNED FOR THECOMMUNITY.TERRIE GARRISON/WYCOHEALTH INTERIM DIRECTOR"I THINK ALL COMMUNITIESHAVE BEEN HIT HARDERTHAN WHAT THEIRTESTING RESULTS AREACTUALLY SHOWING."GARRISON SAYSWYANDOTTE COUNTY ISESPECIALLY VULNERABLE.ACCORDING TO THE NEW2020 SURVEY FOR PUBLICHEALTH OUTCOMES INKANSAS, WYANDOTTE ISTHE LAST RANKED COUNTYIN THE STATE IN PART DUETO A HIGH POPULATION OFRESIDENTS WITHUNDERLYING HEALTHISSUES.TERRIE GARRISON/WYCOHEALTH INTERIM DIRECTOR"THEY ARE VERY MUCH ATHIGH RISK, MANY OF THEMALSO DO NOT HAVEHEALTH INSURANCE."JANICE WITT/LOCAL ACTIVIST"IT MAKES ME VERY SADBECAUSE THIS IS A LIFE ORDEATH ISSUE."LOCAL ACTIVIST JANICEWITT SAYS AMONG THEISSUES IN WYANDOTTECOUNTY IS A LACK OFPERSONAL PROTECTIONEQUIPMENT.SHE DISPLAYED A TABLEOF ITEMS RANGING FROMGLOVES TO CLEANINGSUPPLIES TO VITAMINSUPPLEMENTS TO SHOWWHAT CAN HELP WARDOFF THE VIRUS.DOCTOR SHARON LEE HASBEEN PERFORMINGDRIVE-UP COVID-19TESTING AT HER KCKCLINIC FOR 3 WEEKS.BASED ON ABOUT A THIRDOF THOSE PATIENTSTESTING POSITIVE FORTHE VIRUS, SHE SAYS IT'SNO TIME TO LET UP WITHSOCIAL DISTANCING.LEE, GARRISON AND WITTALL AGREE ANOTHERFACTOR IN THEWYANDOTTE COUNTYSPREAD IS THE LARGENUMBER OF ESSENTIALWORKERS IN HEALTHCARE,FOOD SERVICE AND OTHERDAY JOBS...AND MANY OFTHOSE WORKERS TAKEPUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.ADDITIONALLY MORE THANHALF OF COUNTYRESIDENTS LIKE DAJA AREEITHER BLACK ORHISPANIC.CURRENTLY, THERE'S NODATA BREAKING DOWNCORONAVIRUS PATIENTSBY RACE.TERRIE GARRISON/WYCOHEALTH INTERIM DIRECTOR":WE'RE REALLY JUST NOWKIND OF DELVING INTOTHAT INFORMATION WITHINWYANDOTTE COUNTY."JANICE WITT/LOCAL ACTIVIST"I DON'T THINK FOR ONEMINUTE THAT AN EFFORTHAS BEEN MADE TO SHOWA TRUE BREAKDOWN OFWHERE THIS SICKNESS IS."IF YOU'RE SICK WITHCOVID-19 SYMPTOMS ANDYOU WANT TO GETTESTED, YOU CAN CALL 3-1-1 TO WORK THROUGH ANAPPOINTMENTAPPLICATION WITH THEWYANDOTTE COUNTYHEALTH DEPARTMENT.TO REACH DOCTORSHARON LEE'S CLINIC YOUCAN CALL396-7070 BETWEENMONDAY AND FRIDAY FROM8 AM TILL 8 PM.LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM,