Independence Emergence and Pandemic team meet Thursday to discuss and go over the number of cases in the county. Since last spring Kansas has had 344,937 cases and 2,741 new covid cases, 120 hospitalized, and 35 deaths all since Monday. Montgomery County has 3,866 an increase of 66 since Monday and 87 total deaths in the county. Medical centers across the country anticipate a bad flu season.

On Wednesday morning Wichita hospitals have no available ICU beds reaming and Jane Phillips Medical Center in Bartlesville is full and diverting patients to other facilities. Labette Health Independence ER has been extremely busy in recent days and as of Tuesday 18 patients we tested for Covid-19. Labette Health Independence ER director Becky Mitchell reported that all the Covid positive patients seen in the ER are not vaccinated and they range in age. Mitchell also expresses that the ER is getting overwhelmed with patients and to only visit the ER for emergencies only.