Kansas began requiring masks, then virus cases dropped. Weeks later, ‘the data is solid’

K

The chart from Kansas health officer Lee Norman was eye-catching.

An orange line traced a steep fall in new cases among counties that followed Gov. Laura Kelly’s July 3 statewide mask order. A flatter blue line plotted new cases in counties that rejected the mandate, revealing little progress in slowing the spread of the virus.

The chart, which Norman showcased at an Aug. 5 news conference, was quickly criticized as “misinformation” because the lines for mask and non-mask counties followed separate vertical axes. It made the differences between them appear more dramatic.

But despite the confusion, an analysis of Kansas COVID-19 cases by The Kansas City Star and The Wichita Eagle broadly confirms Norman’s data. It shows an overall downward trend since last month in 16 counties with a mask order early on while 89 counties without one trended up.

document orig

​www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article244959870.html

HELP US SPREAD GOOD NEWS!

I run this site in my spare time and thoroughly enjoy giving you all positive news!  If you’ve enjoyed the site we’d love for you to help me share the good news far and wide, share us on Reddit, your Facebook or your Twitter and spread a little positivity around.