The Chautauqua County Commission's decision to not go along with Kansas's COVID-related disaster declaration was the focus of Monday's regular meeting.

Dr. James McDermott presented his findings in front of the commission. He said Chautauqua County is the only county in Kansas to not follow through with a disaster declaration, which would entitle the county to assistance and resources.

Emergency Management Director Cody Collier said there is no reason to go along with the declaration if there isn't actually a disaster in the county. KDHE numbers claim that there have been 8 cases of COVID-19 in the county since March. The total population of the county is estimated to be around 3,250 as of 2019.