COVID-19 Information
What is Isolation?
Isolation is used to separate and restrict sick individuals who have a communicable disease from those who are healthy. It restricts the movement of a sick individual to help stop or slow the spread of a disease.
What is Quarantine?
Quarantine is used to separate and restrict the movement of well individuals who may have been exposed to a communicable disease to see if they begin to show symptoms and become sick. These people may have been exposed to a disease and do not know it, or they may have the disease but do not show symptoms. Quarantine can also help limit the spread of a disease.
Isolation and quarantine are used to protect the public by preventing exposure to infected persons or to persons who may be infected. In most cases, isolation and quarantine are enforced voluntarily, however, the health department has the authority to enforce compliance. Read more at Recent Terminologies FAQ from the Shawnee County Health Department.
For a more detailed explanation of the score, view the Scorecard
Frequently Asked Questions and FactSheets from the Shawnee County Health Department
- Home Quarantine Order (10/22/2020)
- 14 Day Symptom Tracker form (7/06/2020)
- Isolation and Quarantine Release Graphic (08/24/2020)
- Cold vs Flu vs Allergies vs Coronavirus (Adults) (09/22/2020)
- Cold vs Flu vs Allergies vs Coronavirus (Kids) (09/22/2020)
- FAQ Guidance on COVID-19 Test Results (7/29/2020)
- FAQ Isolation and Quarantine (5/12/2020)
- Travel Related Quarantine Guideline (5/12/2020)
- Recent Terminologies FAQ
Shawnee County
- Shawnee County Health Department COVID-19 Information frequently updated including public documents from the Health Department, the weekly Transmission and Severity Scorecard, and Emergency Health Orders.
- Shawnee County Health Department COVID-19 Dashboard (desktop) (mobile) The Dashboard is updated every afternoon Monday – Friday.
- Stormont Vail Health COVID-19 News and Information with Daily Updates link including COVID-19 hospitalization data and ICU/ventilator use.
- Shawnee County COVID-19 Updates Facebook page This is the official Facebook page for COVID-19 updates in Topeka and Shawnee County, Kansas. This page is being managed by local private and public health organizations, public safety agencies and government agencies.
- SNCO COVID-19 Rumor Control Task Force Rumors and misinformation can be destructive and can even cause harmful behaviors that increase personal and public health risks. This page fact-checks local Shawnee County rumors and cites sources for accurate information.
State
- Kansas COVID-19 Response and Recovery: Your source for community, family, mental, financial, & economic health.
- KDHE Coronavirus COVID-19 Response from Kansas Department of Health and Environment
- KDHE COVID-19 Dashboard summarizing cases, hospitalizations, deaths. Use the map for county level data, including Shawnee County.
National
- CDC COVID-19 Information
- Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades Recursos para COVID-19 / Spanish Language CDC Resources for COVID-19
- Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) includes interactive data map. Select a country for more detailed breakdown of data, including United States.
Mental Health Crisis Lines
- Shawnee County Mental Health Crisis Line Valeo (ages 18+) Open 24/7 1-785-234-3300
- Shawnee County Mental Health Crisis Line FSGC (17 & under) Open 24/7 1-785-232-5005
Community Resource and Referral Line – 211
- United Way 211 – Dial 211 from any phone to speak with a referral specialist 24 hours a day about COVID-19 or any other service needs you may have. Available in English and Spanish. 211
Resources for Food and Assistance
United Way Resources – Dial 211 from any phone to speak with a referral specialist 24 hours a day about COVID-19 or any other service needs you may have. Available in English and Spanish.
Community Resources Council updated local resources list for COVID-19 emerging needs
Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging coordinates services for older adults.
Food Assistance Resources
Need help finding food resources in Shawnee County? Here is a map of local food pantries, summer feeding sites and food giveaways. Enter your address to find resources nearby. Created and updated by Shawnee County K-State Research and Extension.
Eviction Prevention
The Kansas Eviction Prevention Program is a resource for tenants (and their landlords) struggling with the impact of COVID and facing eviction.
WiFi Access
WiFi Access in the library’s parking lot, community centers and other locations.
Local News Resources
Local news sources provide recent updated information on this emerging situation in our community.
Online Newspaper Access with your library card
Lissa Staley
Lissa Staley helps people use the library. She is a Book Evangelist, Trivia Emcee, Classics Made Modern book discussion leader, NaNoWriMo Municipal Liaison, and frequent library customer. She loves her kids, being a librarian, living in Topeka, and helping people form connections and community. (She's the Community Connections Librarian!) She reads a new book every few days, but is enjoying the audiobook of "Empress of Forever" by Max Gladstone, the ebook "When We Were Magic" by Sarah Gailey and is eagerly awaiting John Scalzi's "The Last Emperox" in April!