(KAIR)--COVID-19 restrictions remain in place for Atchison County, with phase 3.5 of the County's reopening plan taking effect Wednesday and remaining in place through July 7.
That follows unanimous approval of the plan by the Atchison County Commission during the board’s regular Tuesday meeting.

Among those outlining the details of the latest reopening phase was Atchison County Emergency Management Director Wes Lanter. “Phase 3.5 is still a mass gathering of 45 people,” Lanter said. “We did remove some stuff out of there to make it less restrictive, that’s why we didn’t stay with 3.0.”

Atchison County Health Officer Lori Forge told the Commission that implementing the new phase follows Kansas Governor Laura Kelly Monday encouraging counties to keep restrictions in place due to an uptick in virus cases. “Just over the weekend, Saturday and Sunday, the State reported an increase of 400 cases, just in two days, and then 5 deaths. Recently, for our county, we have had community spread, lots of contacts, so right now we’re monitoring 70. That means they are either in quarantine, or their isolated. Isolation is if it’s a positive case and quarantine is a close contact of a positive case.”

Forge urged Atchison County residents to remember the vulnerable when going about their business. “For people who are at higher risk, please be cautious, and for people who aren’t, think of those people, think of the people who are higher risk and what it might mean to them if they were get the virus. Just look out for each other.”

The latest phase will be re-evaluated when the July 7 deadline arrives.