COVID-19

Nearly two months after Gov. Laura Kelly announced that Kansas would develop a "unified" strategy to ramp up coronavirus testing, the program is enough of a work in progress that even some of the state's contractors don't yet have all the details.

The city of Wichita said it will work with Sedgwick County to enforce the county’s new public health order.

The order passed last week tightens restrictions on certain businesses and mass gatherings, and it requires masks in most public spaces. It also lays out possible penalties for violations, the first time the county has adopted enforcement measures.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is again pressing a statewide mask requirement to tame a coronavirus surge that has filled the state’s intensive care beds and left at least one major hospital caring for patients in hallways.

TOPEKA — Kansas can’t help at least half of the struggling small businesses seeking relief because of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Monday, calling for additional federal aid as the state reported another record for new coronavirus cases.

Wichita's board of education voted Monday to extend Thanksgiving break an two extra days.

Students and staff will now take Nov. 23 and 24 off, giving them a full work week away from the classroom — both in-person and virtually.

The district said it's running short on teachers and substitutes as the rise in COVID-19 cases in Sedgwick Counties forces employees to isolate and quarantine. 

Superintendent Alicia Thompson told the board it's been a rough couple of weeks.

After nearly 100 days in the Intensive Care Unit at Wesley Medical Center, a COVID-19 patient is finally home.

Antonio Santiago entered Wesley back in August. He says there were moments in the hospital where he wasn’t so hopeful.

"I thought I was going to die."

Ninety-eight days later, nurses and hospital staff lined up to send Santiago off.

While being escorted out of the hospital, he had a smile so big not even a mask could hide it.

"I’m so happy to be back in my home again," he said. "God allowed me to be back here with my family and friends."

Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple says the city will take action against businesses that openly defy a new county health order meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus.