Revised public health order issued for Cloud County

A revised Emergency Public Health Order was issued by Cloud County health officer Dr. Dorothy Breault and Cloud County Health Department administrator Brandi Bray.
The new order, which went into effect on Monday, allows for mass gatherings of no more than 30 people. Gatherings had been limited to no more than 15 people.
“We have had a lot of positive comments, but there have also been negative comments that we are hurting the economy. The compromise was to go ahead and move to 30 people for this week,” Bray said.
The original health order was issued by Breault and Bray on May 27, after the measures put into place to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly were lifted on May 26 when she vetoed a bill passed by the legislature.
With no state guidelines in place, decisions on how to move forward with reopening the economy was left up to the counties.
As was the case in the original order issued in Cloud County, mass gathering limits will increase to no more than 45 people on June 8. Beginning June 22, the limit for mass gatherings will be lifted.
As restrictions are eased, continued social distancing is encouraged.
Mass gathering numbers are subject to change depending on the spread of COVID-19 in Cloud County and will only be changed after consulting the Emergency Support Function 8 Public Health and Medical team.
Kansas statute authorizes the local health officer to exercise and maintain supervision over known or suspected cases of an infectious or contagious disease during its continuance.
The new health order was issued following a conversation with the Cloud County board of commissioners during its regular meeting on Monday.
There were other modifications to the health order.
Directives for recreational baseball, softball and t-ball games were removed, and communities are asked to adhere to the Kansas Recreation and Parks Association guidelines for programming.
Bray said that Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) industry-specific guidelines should be followed when possible.
The order for restaurants, bars and convenience stores now states that buffet style dining may open no sooner than June 8 with hand sanitizer placement.
On June 22, all guidelines will be lifted except for the requirement for sneeze guards and hand sanitizer  at all self-serve drink stations and buffets.
“We are going to be a step ahead of the game if this (virus) begins to resurface,” Bray said.
The order states that the Cloud County Health Department (CCHD) will continue to monitor health metrics provided by KDHE and provide updates to the public. CCHD retains the statutory duty of isolation and quarantine for individuals who test positive for COVID-19, as well as close contacts. In addition, travel restrictions improved by KDHE will continue to be enforced. Traveling to a destination deemed restricted by KDHE will result in mandatory quarantine of 14 days.
The order encourages residents and visitors of Cloud County to remain diligent in social distancing, as well as basic precautions like washing hands, covering your cough, wearing a cloth mask and staying home when you are ill.
Bray reported that, as of Monday morning, there had been 159 people tested in the county for COVID-19, with five positive tests. All five positive cases have recovered. There have been 153 negative tests and there was one test pending.