By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
As Kansas went under a statewide stay at home order Monday Ellis County Health Services Director Jason Kennedy said the county has yet to have a confirmed case of the virus, but keeping it that way will be up to everyone doing their part.
Also important, he said is understanding the order's intent of limiting all activities outside of the home.
Kennedy said if the activity is necessary for the well being of yourself or your family, it is generally permitted — but, outside of those activities, it should be avoided.
"The social distancing piece is still extremely important," he said.
He also said the order should also not replace other best practices, like good handwashing, maintaining social distancing and practicing good cleaning practices.
"The virus is spread person to person, so that's really the key piece that we need to understand," he said. "The more that we can break those bonds, the more that we can separate and socially distance ourselves the faster we can either slow or control the spread to some degree."
The action by the governor, he said, is just another step to reinforce the social distancing and stop the spread.
Kennedy said testing for the virus on the individual level has been a hot topic across the U.S., but is only one piece of tracking and stopping the spread of the virus.
By using testing when needed and by using sampling, officials can understand where the virus is and what measures can be used to contain it.
In Ellis County, Kennedy said, every test for COVID-19 has been negative, but testing is generally reserved for someone who is symptomatic and has traveled to an area with a confirmed outbreak.
And those people would be tested by the primary care physician, not the health department.
"We know for a fact that anyone that has been sampled or tested in Ellis County as of (Monday) has come back negative for COVID-19," Kennedy said.
Kennedy said his department only tests first responders, and those tests are sent directly to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment lab.
Early in the week, he said, there was some confusion with the KDHE when they changed their testing criteria.
He did not know precisely how many tests are available the county, as those are managed by the physicians themselves, but said private labs in Hays were going to begin testing locally as directed by physicians.
He also said it should not be assumed that the virus is in Ellis County just because some have been ill, but have not been tested directly for COVID-19. He said continuing to take recommended precautions could ensure COVID-19 does not make it to Ellis County.
"The most important thing right now, if we want to keep it out of our community, is to avoid any unnecessary travel outside of Ellis County. Period," Kennedy said.
If that travel is required, limiting social interaction is important.
"If we say we have to do (social distancing) inside our county, we definitely have to do it outside of our county," Kennedy said.
Right now, he said, the most effective thing is for everyone to act like they have the virus and act accordingly.
Anyone with any of the symptoms should stay home, contact their primary care physician and follow their recommendations, Kennedy said.
For those without a primary care physician, HaysMed has set up a COVID-19 a hotline.
"It doesn't matter at this point if is the flu or a cold. If you don't feel well, stay home, isolate yourself," Kennedy said. "That's the key piece."
Taking the recommended actions will not only help protect yourself but also others in the community.
"We have a large portion of at-risk population in our community," Kenedy said. "We want to do everything we can to protect them.
"To date, we have taken every step that is advised to flatten the curve, to protect vital infrastructure and to protect the at-risk population," he added. "Now it is up to the individual."