COVID-19 cases have dropped in Kansas counties with orders for masks, increased in others

© Mark Reinstein / Zuma Press / TNS
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly on inauguration day at the Kansas State Capitol on January 14, 2019, in Topeka, Kan.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – As Kansas counties decide how to respond to Governor Laura Kelly’s new mask order, a new study shows that counties that passed the governor’s first term this summer have seen a drop in cases of COVID-19.

Among counties with a prescription, the seven-day moving average of new cases fell an average of 6% in the month and a half after the warrant. Meanwhile, cases in counties without a mask requirement saw an average increase of 100%.

The analysis – conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment – was published in the CDC’s Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report on Friday.

“Kansas counties that had mask warrants in place appear to have mitigated transmission of COVID-19, while counties that did not have mask warrants continued to see an increase in cases,” the study says. .

The findings come as Kelly focuses on masks in the fight against the latest wave of COVID-19, which is filling hospitals across the state. Cases have reached unprecedented levels in Kansas and are now translating into increased hospitalizations.

The Democratic governor’s new order goes into effect on Wednesday, with the deadline intended to encourage counties to adopt their own mask orders. Counties will be allowed to keep their own orders once the statewide mandate goes into effect. Local leaders also have the option to withdraw from the order, as they did in July.

Kelly is also launching a public campaign to encourage the use of masks and other COVID-19 precautions and is rolling out extensive testing statewide.

“I am committed to a COVID mitigation strategy all of the above,” Kelly said on Friday.

Kansas has recorded 5,939 additional COVID-19 cases and 84 deaths since Wednesday, KDHE Secretary Lee Norman said on Friday. Current hospitalizations reached an all-time high of 1,039 on Thursday, according to the COVID-19 tracking project.

The CDC report adds to a growing body of analysis suggesting that ordering masks this summer helped curb the growth of cases in the counties that followed it. Research by the University of Kansas’ Institute for Political and Social Research also found that following the July ordinance, masked counties kept cases flat while counties without a mask saw a increasing number.

CDC-KDHE’s analysis looked at the 24 counties that had a mask mandate as of August 11 and looked at case rates between June 1 and August 23. The study found that while case rates were higher in mandated counties than in non-mandate counties, rates in warranted counties fell “markedly” after July 3, compared to warrantless counties.

The study acknowledges that it ignores the effect of cities with mask orders in unmasked counties. But he also said the results were consistent with those from other states that have required masks.

“The decrease in cases among mandated counties and the continued increase in cases in non-mandated counties add to the evidence supporting the importance of wearing masks and implementing policies requiring their use to mitigate the spread of ( COVID-19) ”, indicates the study.

As the number of cases skyrockets, Republicans have been more quiet in their opposition to the new term than the summer. At a briefing for top lawmakers on Friday, no one offered a criticism.

In written statements, some lawmakers have expressed personal opposition to the warrants while making it clear that the choice is up to each county. “The decision is still in their hands and I will always believe that statewide restrictions are not the solution,” said Senate Speaker Susan Wagle, Republican of Wichita.

Health officials have been promoting mask use for months. David Wild, vice president of performance improvement at the University of Kansas Health System, said on Friday that in general, “anything we can do to increase masking adherence in our state will be beneficial to us. all.

———

© 2020 The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.)

Visit The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.) at www.kansascity.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.