City of Wichita

Kansas reported another big increase in confirmed coronavirus cases Friday, capping its worst two-week spike since the pandemic began and coming as a statewide mask mandate from the governor took effect.

The state Department of Health and Environment reported that Kansas has had 15,919 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, up 929, or 6.2% since only Wednesday. Kansas also has reported 277 COVID-19-related deaths, up five in two days.

Wichita will be the site of a new Amazon distribution warehouse.

Wichita started off 2020 "in good financial condition," says City Manager Robert Layton. 

"Then, COVID-19 hit."

The city was in the early stages of preparing the 2021 budget when the coronavirus pandemic began, Layton says, forcing the entire country — its businesses, its schools and its economy — to essentially shut down.

"The city situation is probably similar to what our citizens are going through, what our business owners are going through," Layton says.

Without their own living space in which to practice social distancing, many Wichitans who are homeless have continued to rely on communal living shelters during the COVID-19 pandemic.

City and religious leaders are calling for demonstrations to "get back on track" after protests turned destructive for the second night in a row.

Libraries, municipal court and Wichita City Hall opened back up to the public on Tuesday, part of the first wave of city-run facilities to begin reopening more than two months after the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to close.