Sedgwick County commissioners have voted to approve a recommendation to restrict abortion clinics to only essential medical procedures during the coronavirus pandemic.
The recommendation will go to the county’s health officer, Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Commissioners Michael O’Donnell and Jim Howell raised concerns about patients and staff coming to Kansas from out of state, especially from “hotspot” areas like California where the coronavirus has been active. They questioned whether the staff and patients were having to go through quarantine.
Commissioner David Dennis said he did not want to close the Trust Women clinic in Wichita or other clinics because they provide other health services that patients would need. The recommendation does not call for closing the clinics but it would call for a restriction on non-essential medical procedures, and abortion services would be included in that.
O’Donnell said the issue is not about abortion but it’s about trying to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Commissioner Lacey Cruse called the move “political grandstanding at its finest” and she questioned if the county was going to be checking license plates at every business, and “it just seems like we are opening ourselves up for something when we could really be using our time to be discussing more important topics.”
O’Donnell’s motion was approved 4-1 with Cruse casting the no vote.
