U.S. Second Gentleman plans visit to Kansas vaccine clinic as COVID-19 cases rise

United States Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will visit a vaccine clinic in Kansas next week, his office announced in a press release Tuesday.

Emhoff and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will tour a Topeka vaccine clinic and “learn about outreach efforts to get the community vaccinated,” the release said.

The visit comes days before Kansas K-12 students return to classes amid a surge in COVID-19 cases powered by the more contagious delta variant of the virus.

Kansas is averaging 843 new COVID-19 cases per day, a 91% increase from two weeks ago, according to the New York Times.

Meanwhile, only 45% of Kansans eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine are fully inoculated, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Nationwide 58.2% of the eligible population is fully vaccinated against coronavirus.

The Centers for Disease Control issued new guidance last week asking vaccinated Americans to wear masks in areas with high or substantial spread of the virus.

The federal government has offered surge response teams to governors in all 50 states to manage the increased number of COVID-19 cases.

McClatchy DC’s Bryan Lowry contributed to this report.