STATE NEWS
Kansas COVID-19 Vaccination Overview
2,573,807 Total Doses Reported as Administered
– First Dose: 1,426,772
– Second Dose: 1,147,036
3,047,940 Total Doses Distributed
– State Distributed: 2,049.880
49.0% of Kansans Vaccinated with One Dose
42.5% of Kansas Completed COVID-19 Vaccine
Kansas COVID-19 Cluster Summary
As of August 4th, there are 6 long-term care facilities with clusters and one is a LeadingAge Kansas Member.
Statewide Active COVID-19 Clusters
- Clusters: 125
- Cases: 1,230
- Hospitalizations: 54
Kansas COVID-19: Case Rates
- Cases: 337,350
- Total Case Rate Per 1,000: 115.80
- Daily Cases Diagnosed: 664
Long-Term Care Facilities with Active Cluster Case Information
- Clusters: 35
- Cases: 346
- Hospitalizations: 24
Source: https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas
FEDERAL NEWS
CMS On Source Control, etc. in Nursing Homes
In a meeting with LeadingAge National on Monday, CMS reiterated that there are no plans to change CDC source control and social distancing recommendations in healthcare settings (which are required, in turn, by CMS. (Review current recommendations here).
CMS stated that while there continues to be a correlation between community spread and nursing home spread, the relationship is not as strong now as it was during the “pre-vaccination era.” While case rates are climbing in nursing homes, the increases are not as steep, and the illnesses are not as severe as we’ve seen in the past. Specifically, there are fewer hospitalizations and deaths in nursing home residents. This is encouraging news, but it only works if nursing homes continue their hard work on core infection control principles including appropriate source control and social distancing, adherence to testing protocols, and continuing to drive up vaccination rates. CMS will continue working with CDC to evaluate the data and determine the need for future changes to source control or testing recommendations.
CDC Adult Day Guidance Updated
CDC updated it’s Adult Day Services guidance on July 14th. The updated guidance includes a section on promoting vaccination; adds guidance for adult day centers where everyone is fully vaccinated; updates guidance for centers where not everyone is fully vaccinated; and updates guidance on indoor and outdoor mask guidance. In the ever-changing environment of the emergence and quick spread of the Delta variant (and the increase in cases), some of this guidance may need to be updated again soon.
FDA Updates FAQ on COVID-19 Vaccines and Approval Process
FDA announced the addition of three new frequently asked questions (FAQs) on COVID-19 vaccines and the approval process. The FAQs can be found here . The new FAQs include:
- Q 2 in Vaccines, Biologics, Human Tissues, and Blood Products section– Is an approval (or biologics license approval) different from an emergency use authorization? Does it change the availability of COVID-19 vaccines?
- Q 3 in Vaccines, Biologics, Human Tissues, and Blood Products section– How long will it take to approve COVID-19 vaccines?
- Q 4 in Vaccines, Biologics, Human Tissues, and Blood Products section – How important is it to make sure approved vaccines are available versus other public health measures? Do you have the resources to do this quickly?
FDA Has Issued an Emergency Use Authorization for Regeneron
It includes Post-Exposure Prophylaxis. Read the Fact Sheet and authorized usages and limitations on the first page.
Paid Leave Tax Credit Expanded to Enable More Vaccination
The US Department of Treasury released information on an expansion of the Paid Leave Tax Credit. Eligible employers can claim tax credits equal to the wages paid for providing paid time-off to employees to take a family or household member or certain other individuals to get vaccinated, or to care for a family or household member or certain other individuals recovering from the vaccination. Comparable tax credits are also available for self-employed individuals.
LEADINGAGE KANSAS NEWS
No Weekly Webinar THIS Friday Due to Virtual Roundtables
All of the updates will be shared during our Roundtables. Register for Roundtables for your region.We will return on August 13th. Make plans to join us each Friday at 10 AM. Register here. Let Nicole if you have specific topics we should add to the agenda.
RESOURCES
One Member’s Vaccine Mandate Communication Tools
In response to member inquiry and following his appearance on a recent LeadingAge national coronavirus call, Mark Beggs, CEO of Edenwald Senior Living (Townson, MD) has made available the six communication tools they created to institute a staff vaccine mandate in his community. These include a first and second email announcement; an email announcement for a staff discussion; a mandate policy; and religious exemption and request for medical accommodation forms. He has given permission to share these resources and they are intended as helpful member to member templates only. (Note, these are not created by LeadingAge; they are one member’s materials.)
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