The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued new mandates for the COVID-19 virus that cover travelers, close contacts of confirmed cases and those being tested for the virus.
KDHE is now mandating a 14-day home quarantine for Kansans who have:
- Traveled to a state with known widespread community transmission (currently California, Florida, New York and Washington state) on or after March 15.
- Visited Eagle, Summit, Pitkin and Gunnison counties in Colorado in the week prior to March 15 or after.
- Traveled on a cruise ship or river cruise on or after March 15.
- People who have previously been told by Public Health to quarantine because of their cruise ship travel should finish out their quarantine.
- Traveled internationally on or after March 15.
- People who have previously been told by Public Health to quarantine because of their international travel to China, South Korea, Japan, Italy and Iran should finish out their quarantine.
- Received notification from public health officials (state or local) that you are a close contact of a laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19. You should quarantine at home for 14 days since your last contact with the case. (A close contact is defined as someone who has been closer than 6 feet for more than 10 minutes while the patient is symptomatic.)
There is no need for returning travelers to notify KDHE about their return. Information on COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and states with community transmission can be found at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
Those who are under home quarantine should not attend school, work or any other setting where they are not able to maintain at about a 6-foot distance from other people.
If a person under quarantine develops symptoms of COVID-19 during their 14-day quarantine period, including a measured fever of 100.4 (F) or higher and lower respiratory symptoms like coughing or shortness of breath, they should contact their healthcare provider and tell them about their recent travel or other COVID-19 exposure.
