Kansas coronavirus update: Gov. Laura K elly suspends barriers to jobless benefits af ter 55K file claims; state’s death toll may climb to 700

For Rick Irvine, fear is good for business.Like a lot of other gun stores, his BeginAgains Pawn and Gun in Holton has enjoyed a spike in business in recent weeks as anxieties about COVID-19 and intensified government response spread like the virus itself.

Gov. Laura Kelly grew concerned in February about the impact COVID-19 could have on Kansas. By early March, the looming crisis became obvious.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced Saturday the signing of a temporary statewide stay-at-home directive excluding essential activities and taking effect 12:01 a.m. Monday in response to escalation of coronavirus cases in Kansas.

Public health officials in Doniphan, Sedgwick, Atchison and Shawnee counties issued stay-in-place orders Tuesday to expand to about half the Kansan population restrictions on movement intended to constrain the spread of coronavirus.