COVID-19

The Wichita school board decided to move forward with its plan to transition middle and high school students to in-person learning.

The board held a special meeting on Friday to discuss the worsening coronavirus pandemic in Sedgwick County. The positive rate for COVID-19 testing has risen from 5.4% on Oct. 1 to 14.5% on Thursday, the last day data was available on Sedgwick County’s coronavirus dashboard.

WICHITA, Kansas — Amid a surge of coronavirus cases across rural Kansas, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly provided details on her new statewide testing plan Wednesday, adding 400,000 more by the end of the year.

That's nearly double the amount of tests available now, with the goal of reaching a total of 1 million tests. The extra capacity is expected to go to schools and high-risk populations, like those living and working at nursing homes.

TOPEKA — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and top Republican legislators agreed Tuesday to try for now to encourage Kansas counties to adopt local mask mandates rather than consider a statewide rule as the state experiences its biggest surge in new coronavirus cases of the pandemic.

Even for the best and brightest students, remote learning in the midst of a pandemic can prove challenging.

Regardless of their past record, even high-performing students can find themselves struggling to stay focused, missing out on socialization and potentially veering off track.

A rare condition in children that doctors say stems from COVID-19 is now showing up in Wichita as doctors diagnosed a 12-year-old girl with a multisystem inflammatory syndrome, also known as MIS-C.

According to the CDC, only a little more than 1,000 children have been diagnosed with the condition in the United States. Less than 10 of those cases have been in Kansas.

"I was beginning to think, 'Oh my god, oh my god, I’m going to lose my daughter,'" Jessica Rains said, referring to her daughter, Adalyn.

Last week, doctors told Rains that her daughter has MIS-C.

TOPEKA — Health care workers and long-term care residents will be among those who will get the coronavirus vaccine first in Kansas, a draft plan shows.

Kansas’ 45-page plan was filed in the past week with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other groups that will be prioritized for the initial rounds of vaccinations include people with underlying medical conditions, people 65 and older and essential workers.

After learning virtually since the beginning of the school year, Wichita middle and high school students will be able to return to in-person classes next month.

WICHITA, Kansas — The blow the coronavirus dealt to the Kansas economy left tens of thousands of people in the state struggling to pay their utility bills.

That puts them at risk of losing electricity or natural gas — and raises the prospect that better-off Kansans weathering price hikes to make up the difference.