Flags in Kansas to fly at half-staff to mark 6,000 COVID-19 deaths

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) announced Monday that flags will fly at half-staff as the state crossed a grim milestone, recording another 1,000 COVID-19-related deaths. 

“It is with great sadness that, for the 6th time since the pandemic began, I am ordering flags to half-staff to honor the lives and memories of another 1,000 Kansans who have died from COVID-19,” Kelly wrote on Twitter.

It is with great sadness that, for the 6th time since the pandemic began, I am ordering flags to half-staff to honor the lives and memories of another 1,000 Kansans who have died from COVID-19.

— Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) September 27, 2021

“We have the tools to stop the virus in its tracks and prevent further unnecessary deaths of our loved ones and neighbors,” Kelly added, urging residents to get vaccinated and wear masks. 

Kelly’s order went into effect immediately and will run through sundown on Wednesday, according to the governor’s office. The governor last ordered flags at half-staff due to COVID-19-related deaths on May 7. 

Kansas has reported more than 406,000 COVID-19 cases and 6,024 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. There were nearly 2,000 new cases, 43 deaths and 48 hospitalizations since Sept. 24, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. 

Slightly more than 51 percent of Kansas residents have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine while 46.5 percent have completed their vaccinations. The state has administered nearly 2.9 million vaccine doses.