COVID case increases fuel jump in clusters across Kansas

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Kansas saw a jump in active COVID clusters over the past week.

The Kansas Dept. of Health and Environments weekly update Wednesday showed 349 active clusters, up from 275 last week.

Long-term care facilities account for 199 of the clusters, an increase from 165 a week ago.

A couple weeks past winter break, K-thru-12 schools also saw an increase in clusters. This week’s report shows 53 active clusters in schools, up from 34 in last week’s report.

Among the school clusters, 32 are identified as exposure locations, which means they have had five or more cases in the past 14 days. Among northeast Kansas schools on the list are Nemaha Central and Sabetha’s elementary and middle schools; USD 321 Rossville; USD 377 Effingham; and Wetmore Attendance Center.

Other exposure locations include the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex with 42 cases; Shawnee Co. Jail with 44; and 83 cases at Topeka Correctional Facility.

Shawnee Co. Corrections officials told 13 NEWS many of their cases are among staff. As this recent outbreak began, they asked the court to suspend in-person hearings with jail inmates. The pause is set to end January 31.

Kansas Neurological Institute and Topeka Rescue Mission also remain on the exposure location list.

With 141 new hospitalizations since Monday, KDHE reports 76 percent of ICU beds statewide are filled, 28 percent of those by COVID patients. In the northeast region, 88 percent of ICU beds are full, with 36 percent of those being COVID patients.

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