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.
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 17.
11:31 p.m. | Cass County in Missouri and Leavenworth County in Kansas each announced an additional death Friday night from COVID-19. There have now been 53 cases in six deaths in Cass County and 117 cases and two deaths in Leavenworth County, according to information from local health departments.
9:38 p.m. | Platte County announced late Friday night it was joining surrounding counties in extending its stay-at-home order until May 15.
"The decision to extend this Order is not made lightly, and I know it comes at an economic cost for many," Platte County Health Officer Mary Jo Vernon said. "But, I want to assure you that these decisions are based on data and models that show our peak arriving in two weeks' time."
6:25 p.m. | Conagra is shutting down its Marshall, Missouri, plant due to an outbreak of COVID-19 cases with employees. It will not reopen until April 27.
5:55 p.m. | The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday afternoon a $19 billion program to help farmers and consumers affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
5:10 p.m. | Clay County has extended its public health emergency order until May 15, following Jackson County and Kansas City, Missouri. On Friday afternoon, Clay County reported 136 cases of the virus and two deaths.
3:31 p.m. | KC Parks is making some changes to help park-goers with social distancing. Roads around Swope Park, located at East Meyer Boulevard and Swope Parkway, and Blue Valley Park, located 2301 Topping Ave., will be closed to vehicles.
Trail users are asked to walk counterclockwise on all trails at the parks, which should help encourage better social distancing.
Kansas City, Missouri, operates 221 parks and maintains more than 130 miles of trails, which residents can use to stay active amid the COVID-19 pandemic. KC Parks asks people to observe social-distancing and large-gatherings guidelines in the parks, wash hands before and after going and to stay home if you feel sick.
3:15 p.m. | With stay-at-home orders across Kansas and the need for social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19, the brakes have been pumped on driver’s education classes.
Johnson County Community College is now offering two options to fill in the gap — a comprehensive, self-paced 20-hour course is available online along with instructor-led virtual classes via Zoom.
With state DMV offices closed, driver education is the only way students under 16 can get a learner’s permit in Kansas, according to a release from JCCC.
Once students pass one of the classes and take the Kansas handbook test in-person, they are eligible for up to six behind-the-wheel lessons with a driving instructor.
2:55 p.m. | Missouri now has 100 more deaths attributed to COVID-19 (184) than Kansas (84), according to updated information from county and state health departments, but there is good news. Each of the alst three days, the numbers of reported deaths in Missouri has decreased.
Meanwhile, Kansas has seen a surge in the number of cases. The state had fewer confirmed coronavirus cases than Kansas City, Missouri, every day since March 29. However, there are now more cases reported in Kansas than in KCMO.
2:50 p.m. | The Supreme Court of Missouri has extended its ongoing suspension of most in-person hearings through May 15 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Urgent matters will continue to be heard, but access to court buildings will remain restricted. The court also suspended “any state or local court rule that could be interpreted to require the personal appearance of a defendant at a criminal or ordinance violation hearing or proceeding.”
2:45 p.m. | The Missouri chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against the state, arguing that residents should be allowed to vote absentee by mail this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
2:43 p.m. | The Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department is asking residents to take a COVID-19 symptoms self-report survey.
2:40 p.m. | Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Friday that in a best-case scenario, the state will begin to reopen its economy on May 3 if the stay-at-home order can be lifted on that date. She said more testing and contact tracing is necessary before the state can determine if the stay-at-home order will be lifted then.
The governor said she appreciates the “high-level” guidelines provided to states by the White House, which she said will give Kansas a broad framework to develop a plan moving forward.
Dr. Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said that he agrees the state can be reopened after the peak of the virus has subsided. He said that he does expect to see a resurgence of the virus in the fall or winter, and the state needs to be prepared for that with the necessary resources in place.
Norman also said that nine new clusters of the virus were identified in the state in the last two days, all stemming from private businesses.
Also Friday, Kelly announced a new program through the Department for Children and Families, the Hero Relief Program, which will expand subsidies for essential workers and child care providers. For more information on the program and how to apply, click here.
2:38 p.m. | Spire, a natural gas provider, has partnered with the United Way to provide $500,000 in matching gifts for its DollarHelp program.
Any Spire customers in need of help to pay their natural gas bills can visit SpireEnergy.com/relief or call 1-800-582-1234. Customers wishing to contribute $1 per month on their bills can do so online.
1:35 p.m. | Meadow View Health and Rehabilitation in Harrisonville says a fourth resident, an 89-year-old man in hospice, has become the fourth resident there to die from COVID-19. In the past 24 hours, two additional residents and one additional staff member also have tested positive for the virus. In all, 16 residents have tested positive, with 10 in isolation on-site and two recovering in the hospital, according to the facility. All four employees who have tested positive are recovering at home.
1:30 p.m. | The Overland Park Drive-Thru Farmers' Market will open April 25 at the parking lot of the Overland Park Convention Center. It will be open from 8 a.m. to noon.
12:55 p.m. | The Jackson County Circuit Court says due to the COVID-19 outbreak, those with bonds of $5,000 or less will not be transported to the Jackson County Detention Center, and law enforcement officers are advised to release them on their own recognizance. They will be given a court date approximately 90 days from the warrant. The modification will be in place through May 31.
The court also says that jury trials will not be held through May 31. Affected cases will be rescheduled.
12:30 p.m. | The Marriott Kansas City Country Club Plaza hotel, located at 4445 Main St., says it will lay off more than 100 people as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In all, 114 employees will be impacted by the layoff, which the hotel says is expected to be temporary. The layoffs will begin April 30, according to documents filed with the Missouri Division of Workforce Development.
12:25 p.m. | Based on new data from Kansas officials, confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state have increased to 1,718. In the Kansas City metro, 1,651 cases have been confirmed.
Wyandotte County and Johnson County each reported additional deaths related to the virus on Friday. In Wyandotte County, 35 people have now died. In Johnson County, 23 people have died.
12:15 p.m. | Some district courts in Kansas will resume issuing marriage licenses while courts remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Kansas City area, residents in Johnson and Wyandotte counties can obtain marriage licenses through the district courts in those counties.
Those who live in other Kansas counties can obtain the licenses through district courts in Pittsburg, Lawrence, Hays, Garden City, Dodge City or Newton. Paperwork will be done through email or U.S. mail.
12:10 p.m. | Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced 16 broadband development projects in Missouri will receive $3.05 million to aid in COVID-19 relief efforts.. Those projects will bring service to an estimated 4,400 homes, businesses and farms that currently lack access to high-speed internet.
11:56 a.m. | Truman Medical Centers/University Health has expanded COVID-19 drive-thru testing sites to Jackson County and Kansas City, Missouri, residents. Those experiencing a fever, cough or shortness of breath can call 816-404-CARE (2273) and speak with a health care professional to be screened for symptoms. If a test is needed, an appointment will be made. You do not need to be a patient at Truman Medical Centers to use the service.
11:45 a.m. | City of Lansing facilities will remain closed to the public until Monday, May 4, under the statewide stay-at-home order. Those closures include City Hall, the Community Center, the Municipal Building/Community Library, and the Activity Center and Parks and Recreation offices. The city also has canceled the Citywide Garage Sale scheduled in May. The Lansing Fishing Derby scheduled for May 9 also has been postponed, with a decision on a potential future date to be made soon.
10:12 a.m. | Starting April 20, the Blue Springs School District will reduce the number of meal pickup locations to conserve resources and limit virus exposure. The locations listed below are open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for pickup. Drop off sites will still operate as scheduled.
- Blue Springs High School, 2000 N.W. Ashton Drive, Blue Springs
- Brittany Hill Middle School, 2701 N.W. 1st St., Blue Springs
- Chapel Lakes Elementary, 3701 N.E. Independence Ave., Lee's Summit
- Daniel Young Elementary, 505 S.E. Shamrock Lane, Blue Springs
- Franklin Smith Elementary, 1609 S.W. Clark Road, Blue Springs
- James Walker Elementary, 201 S.E. Sunnyside School Road, Blue Springs
Meals also will be delivered to William Yates Elementary from 11 to 11:30 a.m.
10 a.m. | Just starting your day? We’ve got you covered with a quick look at what you need to know.
9:24 a.m. | The Kansas Department of Labor announced the beginnings of the effects of COVID-19 on the workforce are visible in the March unemployment report. The department reported an unemployment rate of 3.1 percent in March. That was unchanged from 3.1 percent in February, and a decrease from 3.2 percent in March 2019.
“The March estimates, released today, show some early signs of the impact of COVID-19 on the Kansas labor market. The payroll survey data estimates a job loss of 5,900 jobs from last month,” Senior Labor Economist, Tyler Tenbrink said in the release. “In contrast, the survey of households shows little change over the month. The reference week for the household survey is the week including the 12th of the month, however the increase in unemployment insurance claims took place the week following the reference week.”
9:23 a.m. | Royals Charities is hosting their 50/50 Raffle online. Starting Friday, all entries will benefit the Royals Respond Fund for COVID-19 response. The raffle will close April 24 at 9:30 p.m. and the winner will be announced on April 24 at 10 p.m.
8:57 a.m. | Officials with the University of Kansas Health System gave their daily COVID-19 briefing and were joined by Kansas Department of Health and Environment's Dr. Lee Norman and Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran.
8:21 a.m. | The 2020 Symphony in the Flint Hills Signature Event scheduled for June 13 has been canceled due to COVID-19. All general admission tickets will be refunded by May 30, though ticket holders may opt to donate the ticket cost to the organization.
5:28 a.m. | Lee's Summit's Mayor Baird posted a video explaining the reasoning behind the decision to extend the Jackson County stay-at-home order through May 15.
Mayor Baird explains how and why the decision was made by Jackson County to extend the Stay-At-Home Executive Order through May 15.➡️ https://t.co/GPkUV7bgL1
— City of Lee's Summit (@cityofLS) April 17, 2020
5:15 a.m. | A vaccination for COVID-19 being tested by the National Institute of Health will now include older Americans in the testing. That is the group most at risk for catching the virus.
5 a.m. | The One KC: A Digital Day of Giving that was held Thursday and sponsored by local broadcasters raised over $2 million in relief funds for those affected by COVID-19 in the Kansas City area.
Previous coverage:
Monday, March 16
Tuesday, March 17
Wednesday, March 18
Thursday, March 19
Friday, March 20
Saturday, March 21
Sunday, March 22
Tuesday, March 24
Wednesday, March 25
Thursday, March 26
Friday, March 27
Saturday, March 28
Monday, March 30
Monday, March 30
Tuesday, March 31
Wednesday, April 1
Thursday, April 2
Friday, April 3
Friday, April 3
Saturday, April 4
Monday, April 6
Tuesday, April 7
Wednesday, April 8
Thursday, April 9
Friday, April 10
Saturday, April 11
Sunday, April 12
Monday, April 13
Tuesday, April 14
Wednesday, April 15
Thursday, April 16
Wednesday, April 15
Thursday, April 16
