Shawnee County Health Department to seek additional grant money to mitigate COVID-19 spread

The Shawnee County Commission unanimously approved a measure to allow the Shawnee County Health Department to request more funds from the city of Topeka’s community development block grants.

This would amount to just more than $560,000 that would be used for COVID mitigation.

“One of the barriers to that first round of funding is that it had to be expended by June of this year,” said Derik Flerlage, the Shawnee County Health Department's infectious diseases division manager.

Here's why the extra funding and spending deadline are important

The approval of the additional $560,000 means the health department has longer to plan out how to spend the money they have left.

"It really helps us plan through potential waves that are in the works or coming in the fall, and even through next spring as well," Flerlage said.

This request comes at a time when many states are seeing a worrying rise in COVID-19 cases.

In Shawnee County, the health department has reported 223 new cases between May 8 and 14, as well as 10 new deaths related to the virus. This is a case rate of 129.5 per 100,000 residents and is considered a "high" level of transmission according to KDHE's COVID dashboard.

"We have the three community testing site that's every Tuesday and Friday at this moment," Flerlage said. "Everything that we offer through that for free, we can use this funding for and that's really what it's geared towards."

Flerlage said some of the funding will be used to purchase supplies, especially as the fall months approach.

"Testing is obviously always a concern, especially through the fall," he said. "We want to make sure we have the proper supplies to get us through that time."

Supply chain issues became a major issue during the pandemic, and continue to plague industries across the world. Currently, the United States is experiencing a shortage of baby formula, prompting President Biden to invoke defense powers and take other steps to ease the shortage.

Flerlage says the health department is "not currently" experiencing supply issues.

What can the funds be used for?

As long as the expenditure is related to COVID-19 mitigation and prevention, the funding approved can be used according to Flerlage.

But mitigation and prevention can look like many things. Flerlage said items purchased can include PPE for staff and testing equipment but also items for the public that the health department offers.

"It's really anything and everything as long as it has to do with COVID in some sort of manner," Flerlage said. "We can use this funding for that and then if we have any questions, we can consult with the city."

Need something fun to do? Look no further than the duck race.

August will see the return of the Great Topeka Duck Race, which will be co-sponsored by Shawnee County. The duck race has been an annual event since 1998, and is run by the Sertoma Clubs of Topeka.

"It's an event that we're really pleased to be a co-sponsor of and partner with. It's very popular," said Randy Luebbe, parks services director.

Last year's duck race saw over 13,700 ducks "adopted" and raised over $77,000. Nonprofit companies that partnered with the Sertoma clubs were able to take home half of the proceeds, with the other half going toward benefiting Sertoma's sponsorship beneficiaries in the community.

"This benefits all the Sertoma Clubs of Topeka," Luebbe said.

Those who wish to "adopt" a duck can do so at the duck race website. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sept. 17 at Lake Shawnee.

Alex Edwards is the local politics reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached via email at aedwards@gannett.com, or via twitter @AMEdwards21.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Shawnee County Health Department to seek money for COVID-19 mitigation