WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The positivity rate for COVID-19 is still declining. The rate is now down to below 5%. Those numbers had been in the high teens.
“Our trajectory is good,” said Dr. Lee Norman, Kansas Department of Health and Environment secretary. “Cautiously optimistic, we are really on the right path forward.”
In Sedgwick County on Monday, the county manager said they will consider loosening restrictions.
“But based on these numbers and based on how fast we’re beginning to roll the vaccine,” said Sedgwick County Manager Tom Stolz. “I think he (Dr. Garold Minns) will visit about that and will probably visit the commission some time within the next week or so.”
Commissioners have the ability to drop restrictions or make changes.
Dr. Norman says on the state level the numbers are lower. In Sedgwick County, there was a positivity rate listed Monday at below 5% making it the lowest in months.
So, is it time to loosen restrictions? Maybe.
“And people really, you know, I think have taken this to heart. You know I wouldn’t have said that Thanksgiving and Christmas. I was holding my breath, but after the first of the year, we didn’t see the big spike we had anticipated,” said Dr. Norman. “And I’m giving a lot of credit to a lot of Kansans for being very cautious and not traveling like they used to, and I think that we’ve kind of dodged a bullet.”
Dr. Norman says we still need to social distance. We still need to wear the mask.
County leaders say they can make changes, but need people to keep up precautions.
“Now is not the time,” said Stolz.
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