KANSAS CITY, Mo. — 41 Action News is offering a daily recap of COVID-19 related stories from across Kansas City and the country. Check back every morning for the latest developments.
LATEST: COVID-19 case tracker for Missouri, Kansas and Kansas City
University of Kansas Health System daily update
The University of Kansas Health System hit a milestone Wednesday. The system was treating eight patients for acute COVID-19 infections, the first time it's been below 10 in many months. Two of those patients were in the ICU on ventilators. The highest number during the pandemic was 125 acute infections on Nov. 30.
Doctors believe it is a plateau and that cases will likely go back up, but that proper safety guidelines could keep numbers low.
Officials were joined by Dr. Ajay Nangia, the vice-chair of urology at KUMC, who talked about COVID-19's effects on male potency. A small study found sicker patients had lower sperm counts.
Downtown KCMO businesses ready to rebound with Big 12 Tournament
One year after Kansas City shut down due to COVID-19 during the Big 12 Tournament, businesses are ready to pick back up where they left off. Downtown restaurants and shops hope that bringing back crowds — even small ones — will be a sign of a new beginning.
Gov. Laura Kelly tours Kansas City, Kansas, vaccine facility, discusses moving to Phase 3
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly toured Wyandotte County's third mass vaccination facility Tuesday. She, along with other officials, discussed ways to better disseminate vaccine information in the community. Kelly also said there's no set date for when Kansas will move to Phase 3 of vaccinations.
Shawnee Mission School District will not provide virtual learning in 2021-22
The Shawnee Mission School District announced Tuesday that virtual learning will not be an option for the 2021-22 school year. Officials said, "absent a pandemic, there is no legal way to continue providing the remote learning option." It's not clear whether virtual learning will be an option if the pandemic is not declared over.
Big 12 Tournament makes full court press with COVID-19 precautions
The Big 12 Tournament has precautions in place to make it safe for fans to attend games during the pandemic. Measures include seating in socially distanced pods, masking and other sanitary procedures. The Power and Light District also has safety procedures in place to allow fans to enjoy the atmosphere outside of the arena as well.
—
Find more coronavirus news and resources from 41 Action News here.
