Gov. Laura Kelly sticks with stay-at-home order for now, announces reduced criteria for testing

Gov. Laura Kelly said Tuesday her administration continues to eye May 3 as the date to re-open business in Kansas.

The governor said she hopes to release more details next week on how Kansas will emerge from the stay-at-home order once it expires.

She said the state still needs to meet the Phase One guidelines laid out by President Donald Trump last week which includes more testing and the ability to do contact tracing to isolate those who are sick.

Gov. Kelly said Kansas is depending on the federal government to offer up more testing supplies. She said the state is also doing its part to secure the supplies need to expand testing.

Kansans now only need two symptoms of COVID-19 to be tested for the disease produced by the novel coronavirus. Those symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath.

Kelly also addressed the major impact the coronavirus is having on the state after revenue estimates over the next 15 months show a $1.3 billion deficit.

The governor said Monday she is asking all departments to refrain from filling open positions and find out where cuts can be made. Kelly pointed to the hope that U.S. lawmakers would approve a fiscal relief virus aid package for state and local governments.