By the Associated Press:
Kansas has added a record-setting 5,418 new coronavirus cases as hospitals strained under the pressure.
The increases in confirmed and probable cases brought the state’s total to 97,633, a 5.9% increase from Wednesday. With the influx, the seven-day daily rolling average rose to 1,779 cases.
Data from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment shows the state also added 79 COVID-19 fatalities Friday to bring the total to 1,166.
State health department head and Dr. Lee Norman said many local officials “haven’t done anything” to check the virus surge. Meanwhile, staffing is a growing problem at hospitals, with 38% anticipating shortages this week in the Kansas City area. Wichita hospitals are reporting they are at capacity with ICU beds, and they are moving into contingency plans but there are concerns about staffing.
Sedgwick County was reporting 349 new cases on Friday, for a total of 13,898 cases for the pandemic. There were no new deaths, so the county total remains at 137.
