Kansas Governor Orders Residents to Stay at Home

A sign inside Costco greets shoppers with a message on inventory amid the CCP virus pandemic in Overland Park, Kansas, on March 26, 2020. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Kansas residents need to stay at home except for essential trips, Gov. Laura Kelly said in an announcement on Saturday.

The order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday and goes through at least April 19.

COVID-19, a new disease caused by the new CCP virus from China, is spreading across the United States and the number of infections have been increasing in the Midwestern state, reaching 261 in the latest count.

The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Party’s coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China before it was transmitted worldwide.

“Our projections continue to suggest that the number of confirmed positive coronavirus cases in Kansas could reach as much as 900 over the next week,” Kelly told reporters at a press conference. “Positive cases are appearing everywhere.”

“Therefore, I am announcing the difficult but unavoidable decision to add Kansas to the list of 22 other states that have issued a temporary stay at home order,” said in Topeka Springs, adding she wanted uniformity across the state after several counties asked residents to largely remain at home.

Residents should not leave their homes unless they’re performing an essential activity, according to Kelly’s executive order. Those include five categories: obtaining food, medicine, and other household necessities; performing or going to or from work at an essential business; seeking medical care; caring for children, family members, pets, or a vulnerable person; and engaging in an outdoor activity.

A general view of Guaranteed Rate Field where the Chicago White Sox were scheduled to open the season tomorrow against the Kansas City Royals in Chicago, Illinois on March 25, 2020. Major League Baseball has delayed the season due to the COVID-19 crisis. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The order doesn’t prevent families from gathering privately.

Kelly doesn’t plan to direct National Guard troops to enforce the order, but local jurisdictions can enforce it, the governor said.

Some states have arrested or fined people violating stay at home orders amid the CCP virus pandemic.

“I know this is hard, and I can’t tell you how much I wish it weren’t necessary,” Kelly said. “But we have a small window to ensure that Kansas does not suffer the same terrible fate of other hard-hit states like New York and Missouri. We’ve all got to do our part to help stop the spread of the disease. Stay home. Stay Safe.”

Most of the cases in Kansas are in Johnson, Wyandotte, Sedgwick, Douglas, and Leavenworth counties. A number of other counties have six or fewer confirmed cases.

The state has recorded five deaths.

America has confirmed over 115,000 cases. Around half are in New York state, primarily in New York City, where 517 patients have died. The country’s death toll neared 1,900 on Saturday.

Many patients who contract the new illness recover at home with symptom treatment and others are discharged from hospitals after getting supportive care.