Governor: Kansas moves toward ‘endemic normalcy’ on COVID-19

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly is formally declaring that Kansas is moving toward treating COVID-19 as a disease like the flu that spreads regularly in parts of the state and isn’t considered a pandemic requiring emergency measures. Kelly said Thursday that the state health department will continue to support access to free COVID-19 testing, work to ensure that vulnerable populations can get vaccinated, see that providers serve a broad population and give “comprehensive guidance” about the virus. She called the new phase “endemic normalcy.” The Democratic governor’s announcement came more than nine months after top Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature ended a state of emergency for the coronavirus pandemic.