KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, continues to spread across the world, and in Missouri and Kansas.
41 Action News is keeping track of all closings and cancellations, as well as tracking where positive coronavirus cases are located.
We are also keeping track of which metro jurisdictions are under stay at home orders for the foreseeable future, only allowing for essential business and activities.
We've also compiled a detailed list of school district meal service options while schools are closed.
If you are a business finding unique ways to serve our community, check our KC Open for Business Facebook group to share your ideas.
Updates on the spread of the virus and how it is affecting the metro can be found below for April 1.
9 p.m. | The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education debunked a letter that circulated on social media on Wednesday. The letter stated that students would have to repeat their current grade level in the next school year because of not completing the 2019-20 school year in a classroom setting.
6:15 p.m. | Olathe Public Schools says it has rescheduled senior commencement ceremonies to late July.
6:10 p.m. | Jackson County officials say Bass Pro Shops appealed a determination that found it to be a non-essential business on the grounds that it sells firearms and ammunition. The county said Wednesday that the Independence store will be allowed to continue selling guns, ammunition and other firearm storage and maintenance but must cease all other in-person sales. The county says the store has two days to comply with the order.
5:15 p.m. | The Shawnee Mission School District said it will begin issuing trespassing citations for people who continue to violate guidelines for the use of stadiums and athletic facilities. The district said not everyone is following the rules for social distancing. Stadiums and athletic facilities will remain open with the following guidelines:
- Personal distancing guidelines must be strictly adhered to (6 feet of distance from any individual not in the same household);
- No groups of more than 10 people;
- No team sports, including but not limited to football, basketball, baseball, soccer and frisbee.
4:50 p.m. | St. Charles County reported two additional COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday afternoon, bringing the total number of deaths in Missouri to 21.
4:05 p.m. | Wyandotte County now has 100 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The county says 32 patients have been hospitalized.
4 p.m. | Jackson County officials say a second person has died from COVID-19. The patient was a woman in her 80s.
3:50 p.m. | Nine new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Kansas City, Missouri, according to the KCMO Health Department. Seven of the cases are in Jackson County, while one is in Clay County and another is in Platte County.
3:40 p.m. | Adair County reported four new cases of COVID-19 cases, according to a release from the Adair County Health Department. The new cases are a 35-year-old female, two 80-year-old males and a 58-year -old male. Three of the individuals "are in isolation at Kirksville Manor Care Center," the release stated.
2:10 p.m. | Target and Trader Joe's are among major retailers that will be closed on Easter Sunday to give employees a break amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
2:07 p.m. | Missouri officials report 1,581 cases of COVID-19 in the state and 18 deaths related to the coronavirus.
2:05 p.m. | The total number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus now exceeds more than 200,000, according to a database kept by Johns Hopkins University. U.S. cases currently represent about 22% of all cases across the globe.
1:50 p.m. | Restaurants are taking a financial beating thanks to public-gathering limits and stay-at-home orders, but a group of Country Club Plaza restaurant owners said its landlord, Taubman Centers, is playing hardball about rent payments.
1:30 p.m. | Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister announced a state-federal partnership to investigate and prosecute scammers during the COVID-19 outbreak.
1:10 p.m. | Kansas officials say there are now 487 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state.
1:05 p.m. | The Kansas Department of Commerce has launched a new jobs website to connect Kansas job seekers with businesses hiring to fill a need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
12:50 P.M. | Cass County has reported the first death there related to COVID-19. In a news release, the county said the patient was a Belton woman in her early 70s. She tested positive for COVID-19 on March 20. Her case was not travel-related, and she had underlying health conditions.
12:45 p.m. | Old Shawnee Days, an annual kickoff-to-summer event, has been canceled. The event had been set for June 4-7.
12:40 p.m. | Smithville police say the department conducted a silent test of tornado sirens due to personnel shortage. All sirens are functioning correctly.
12:15 p.m. | The Missouri Supreme Court has extended its suspension of most in-person proceedings through Friday, May 1. State courts remain open for necessary business, though access to those buildings, including the state Supreme Court building, is limited to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Noon | Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas says there continues to be a need for more testing and more personal protective equipment in the city. At a news conference, the mayor said some first responders are having to reuse equipment more than they should be.
Lucas also said that more barriers will be erected at city parks and netting and other equipment will be removed. Parks remain open, but playgrounds, basketball courts and tennis courts are all closed.
Also Wednesday, Lucas announced the creation of the Kansas City Small Business Emergency Relief Fund. The fund will provide loans to small businesses struggling to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.
10:45 a.m. | Powell Gardens has created new digital content while it remains closed until further notice. The digital content includes outdoor activities for children, home and garden Q&As with horticulture staff and updates from the gardens. Find more information on the garden's social media accounts.
10:30 a.m. | Wimbledon has been canceled for the first time since World War II because of the coronavirus pandemic. It was scheduled to be played on the outskirts of London from June 29 to July 12.
10:20 a.m. | Johnson County reported 144 cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. Across the Kansas City metro, there are now 504 confirmed cases.
10 a.m. | Just starting your day? We’ve got you covered with a quick look at what you need to know.
8:34 a.m. | KCPD confirmed two staff members have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 16 others are under quarantine.
8:27 a.m. | The University of Kansas Health System gave an update on COVID-19 operations Wednesday morning.
Officials again emphasized the importance of staying home to save lives. They said there are 36 COVID-19 patients in the health system right now, and 11 of those patients are on ventilators. They are seeing a rise in patients, and they believe rural hospitals will follow suit in a few weeks.
The University of Kansas Hospital nurses believe they have enough personal protective equipment (PPE) at this time and are working to conserve those resources.
7:21 a.m. | Several metro companies have had to lay off employees while shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic. The most recent companies to file paperwork reporting layoffs include the General Motors plant in Fairfax, Kansas, as well as America's Auto Auction, Gaming Partners International and Paper Source in Kansas City, Missouri.
5:30 a.m. | A new model shows a state-by-state breakdown of how many ICU and hospital beds are expected to be needed for COVID-19 patients and when cases will peak.
Missouri's COVID-19 deaths are not expected to peak until mid-May, but the model projects that Missouri will not run out of hospital beds.
The model shows that Kansas will also have enough hospital beds to weather the pandemic, and suggests deaths will peak in the state at the end of April.
5:15 a.m. | Missouri is taking part in a #AsktheGov campaign on Twitter. If anyone tweets a question to Gov. Mike Parson with the hashtag #AskGovParson, he will address those on Thursday at noon.
If you have COVID-19 questions, Missouri is taking part in a nationwide #AsktheGov Q&A on Twitter this Thur, April 2 at NOON.
We’ll get to as many questions as we can! Reply or Tweet your question with #AskGovParson
— Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) March 31, 2020
5 a.m. | As of Wednesday, all off-leash dog parks in Kansas City, Missouri, will be closed to comply with COVID-19 guidelines.
Previous coverage:
Monday, March 16
Tuesday, March 17
Wednesday, March 18
Thursday, March 19
Friday, March 20
Saturday, March 21
Sunday, March 22
Monday, March 23
Tuesday, March 24
Wednesday, March 25
Thursday, March 26
Friday, March 27
Saturday, March 28
Sunday, March 29
Monday, March 30
Tuesday, March 31
