More than 7,000 people have been tested in Sedgwick County for the coronavirus, and county health officials are looking to expand to more random testing in the next few weeks.

The county has over 9,000 testing kits, and deputy county manager Tim Kaufman said another 10,000 kits have been ordered.    He said there is more capacity for testing at the county health department’s main clinic location at 2716 West Central.   Anyone with symptoms is encouraged to call the 211 information line for an initial screening and a determination on testing.

Kaufman said there are plans for more random testing in the community, and he said the county will be contracting with an organization that can conduct sampling events.  He said that would be ready to go in about two weeks.

County commissioner David Dennis said there should be a mobile vehicle that can go to different areas of the county to conduct testing, and commissioners voted to direct staff to come up with a mobile testing plan and bring it back for consideration next week.

Kaufman said the county expects to get information from the HealthCore Clinic testing that is being conducted this week at the WSU Metroplex at 29th and Oliver.   He said that data will go to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and then it will be reported to Sedgwick County.  The clinic had to close after one hour on Tuesday and Wednesday because it had reached its capacity for the day.   The clinic will be open Monday through Thursday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. through the month of May.

County commissioners have also voted to extend a local disaster declaration indefinitely because of the coronavirus pandemic.   County manager Tom Stolz said the original 60-day declaration that was issued in March will expire this week, and it should be extended because the virus is still active in the community.  He said the declaration will keep the county in line with the state’s emergency declaration, and it will keep the county eligible for federal relief funding that is available now and in the future.

The local declaration will be in place until county commissioners vote to end it.