BY SYDNEY HOOVER
Updated at 4:30 p.m.
Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health announced its first case of COVID-19.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment confirmed the positive test Tuesday. The patient is a man in his 20s who recently traveled from Florida.
The county public health department is working to notify any close contacts who may have been exposed to the individual.
With 16 positive cases now identified in Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly announced Tuesday afternoon K-12 schools will be canceled through the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. A task force is working to develop lesson plans to allow learning to continue from home over the next several weeks.
Douglas County Health Officer Thomas Marcellino also prohibited public gatherings of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks to help slow transmission of the disease. He recommended people use social distancing and stay in groups of smaller than 10 during that time.
He also strongly recommended the following:
Residents should remain at home and avoid non-essential trips out.
Restaurants should close in-house dining and instead serve through carry-out or deliver only.
Daycare centers should close while grade schools are closed.
Retirement communities and long-term care centers should limit visitors.
People should avoid large gatherings such as sports practices, games and tournaments as well as other unnecessary social gatherings.
Anyone who does go out in public should maintain a six-foot distance from those around them.
Further information can be found here: https://ldchealth.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=240&fbclid=IwAR0hSNhrVbjIef47I_GNcgDAfsn07C-aVFCIxJ2Uol8JYHuBUBz2glxH4h0
Reach reporter Sydney Hoover at eudoratimes@gmail.com.
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