TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly said Thursday that her goal is to start reopening the Kansas economy on May 3 but she may not be able to do it because the state is “nowhere near” having the supplies needed for adequate coronavirus testing.
Kelly’s comments came after hundreds of people protested around the Statehouse against a stay-at-home order from the Democratic governor set to expire May 3. Participants in similar protests across the country contended that such orders damage the economy and violate people’s civil rights.
Health and government officials argue such orders orders are the best way to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Kelly said a key issue in lifting restrictions is being able to test enough to identify and contain outbreaks quickly and take steps to contain them locally.
Kansas has struggled to get enough supplies from the federal government and private companies in competition with other states. It has had among the lowest testing rates of any state, 7.32 per 1,000 residents as of Thursday.
“We are nowhere near where we need to be with testing supplies,” Kelly said during a Statehouse news conference. “It’s the biggest frustration that I have.”
Kansas did receive 7,000 testing kits from the federal government this past weekend because of outbreaks in meat-packing plants. It also liberalized its testing guidelines this week.
But Kelly said the state has been told after multiple unfilled orders for supplies to the Federal Emergency Management Agency that it should direct requests to the federal Centers for Disease Control instead.
“That was news to us,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Environment is planning to train existing state workers and bring on volunteers to have 400 people to help trace infected people’s contacts. But the department said Thursday it is still recruiting and training them.
The protesters Thursday suggested Kelly has gone too far in imposing restrictions and shutting down the economy. They held or posted signs with slogans such as, “Fear is the real virus,” and “Choose Freedom. Reopen America.”
Many participants carried signs or waved flags supporting the reelection of President Donald Trump. Others were anti-vaccine activists, tea party movement members or gun-rights supporters. One vehicle displayed a Confederate flag; a protest sign promoted a far-right conspiracy theory.
A recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey showed that Americans remain overwhelmingly in favor of stay-at-home orders and other efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus. At the Statehouse, a few local nurses stood silently in scrubs to thank health care workers and counter-protest.
The state health department reported 2,482 confirmed cases, up 12.3% from 2,211 reported Wednesday. The state reported 112 people have died, two more than reported Wednesday.
Infections are likely more numerous because of the state’s low testing rate and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.
Long-term care homes have been particularly hard hit, with at least 17 clusters of cases in such homes in Kansas and 58 COVID-19-related deaths, more than half the state’s total.
