Live blog: KCK schools cancel fall sports

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.

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 Aug. 11.

7:40 p.m. | The Great Lakes Valley Conference has postponed most of its fall sports. The decision, which was made late last month, affects two local NCAA Division II programs — Rockhurst University and William Jewell.

Football, men’s and women’s soccer, and volleyball have been postponed until the spring, while the GLVC Cross Country Championships are planned for Oct. 24.

The GLVC also includes Drury, Lindenwood, Missouri S&T, Missouri-St. Louis and Truman State.

Additionally, Jewell has canceled or postponed all college-sponsored public events through at least the end of 2020.

Golf and tennis teams are allowed to participate in their non-championship segment of the season, but baseball and softball are only allowed to play intrasquad games this fall.

6:20 p.m. | The Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools Board of Education voted 5-2 to suspend involvement in fall sports, including football, volleyball, cross country, girls tennis and boys soccer.

The decision also impacts band and spirit squad.

According to a tweet from the district, the decision only applies to fall sports and will allow the district to evaluate COVID-19 cases ahead of the winter sports season.

5:30 p.m. | The Kansas Department of Corrections said Tuesday that an inmate at the Winfield Correctional Facility in Winfield tested positive for COVID-19.

As a result of the positive case, the inmate and his three roommates were moved to Lansing Correctional Facility, which is department protocol. Contact tracing will be done to identify other staff and inmates who had direct contact with the person who tested positive.

“The health and safety of our staff and residents is one of our top priorities,” KDOC Secretary Jeff Zmuda said. “As with the other positive cases that have been identified in the past several weeks at other facilities, we are moving quickly to mitigate the risks.”

3:55 p.m. | The Pac-12 Conference joined the Big Ten on postponing 2020-21 fall sports, including the football season, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Both conferences are keeping the option of playing in the spring a possibility.

Pac-12 said in a press release that when conditions improve, the conference will consider a return to competition for impacted sports after Jan. 1, 2021.

3:30 p.m. | The seven-county Kansas City metro reported 189 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the fewest new cases reported on a weekday since July 14, according to data kept by 41 Action News. Five additional deaths also were reported in the metro.

Kansas, which does not provide statewide data on Tuesdays or Thursdays, saw an increase of 93 new cases and five additional deaths.

Missouri added 1,031 cases and five deaths across the state on Tuesday.

2 p.m. | After weeks of debate, several reports Tuesday indicated that Big Ten university presidents voted to cancel fall sports due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The Big 12 Conference plans to hold a conference call later today to discuss the season.

1:30 p.m. | The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Tuesday says it has amended its travel quarantine list to include mass gatherings of more than 500 people.

Anyone coming or returning to Kansas who has attended such a gathering must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. KDHE says it will apply only to out-of-state events.

Also Tuesday, the state removed Florida from its quarantine list. Quarantine requirements now apply to those who have:

• Attended/traveled to mass gathering events of 500 people or greater on or after Aug. 11.
• Traveled to/from Florida between June 29 – Aug. 11.
• Been on a cruise ship or river cruise on or after March 15.
• Traveled internationally on or after July 14 to countries with a CDC Level 3 Travel Health Notice, including China, Iran, European Schengen area, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Brazil. International travelers must follow CDC guidance and protocols.

1:09 p.m. | After an unidentified person within the Sporting Kansas City II organization was diagnosed with COVID-19, the USL Championship league postponed the team’s next scheduled game.

The league announced Tuesday that Sporting KC II’s game Wednesday at Louisville City FC has been moved to Wednesday, Aug. 19.

For now, Sporting KC II’s next scheduled gameis Saturday at Saint Louis FC.

USL Championship is the only sanctioned Division II league in the U.S. Soccer Federation’s development pyramid.

12:30 p.m. | Leaders within the Big 12 Conference could decide as early as Tuesday night whether to cancel the college football season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several reports indicate league leaders will meet via conference call Tuesday evening. Leaders with the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences are reportedly meeting earlier in the day and are expected to make formal announcements about the football season.

12:25 p.m. | The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations received $1.8 million in grants to improve its short-time compensation program. The program allows employers to keep workers on the payroll at reduced hours, and employees can supplement their reduced wages with partial unemployment benefits.

Missouri plans to use the grant funds to make businesses aware of the short-time compensation program, enroll more businesses and streamline reporting to unemployment agencies.

Noon | Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said the third KANSASWORKS Statewide Virtual Job Fair involved 189 employers and 1,182 job seekers.

Because concerns remain over COVID-19, the Department of Commerce will continue the virtual job fairs through the rest of the year. Other events will take place on these dates:

• Aug. 25-27
• Sept. 22-24
• Oct. 27-29
• Dec. 8-9

More information on registration will be provided in advance of each of those dates.

10:45 a.m. | The Johnson County Library is partnering with Catholic Charities to serve summer meals to children. The next event will be held from 10-11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12, at the Antioch library branch, 8700 Shawnee Mission Parkway in Merriam.

Children 18 and under can receive up to five breakfasts and five lunches every Wednesday through Sept. 2. It is free and no sign-up is required.

10 a.m. | The Kansas City Chiefs' inaugural Red Friday Run will be a virtual race this year due to COVID-19 concerns. Once fans complete the 5K, the team is encouraging participants to take a photo in their Chiefs gear with their Red Friday flag and post on social media using #RedFriday.

8:50 a.m. | University of Kansas Health System officials gave their daily COVID-19 update and reported the highest number of virus patients the system has seen so far.

The number of cases spiked over the weekend, rising to 31 on Monday. On Tuesday morning, that number was 39. The patients range from 18 years old to 99 years old and 11 are in the ICU with eight on ventilators.

7:20 a.m. | Just starting your day? We’ve got you covered with a quick look at what you need to know.

5:30 a.m. | Johns Hopkins University said Monday that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide reached 20 million, but the actual number of infections could be far higher as testing standards vary from country to country.

Of the 20 million confirmed cases, the US represents over 25% of the worldwide cases, surpassing 5 million. Brazil has the next highest number of confirmed coronavirus infections with over 3 million.

5 a.m. | The Raytown School District will have online-only classes through at least Oct. 22. The district's board of education made the decision at its meeting Monday night.

School will begin Sept. 8.

More information can be found on the district's website.

Previous coverage:
March 2020 updates
April 2020 updates
May 2020 updates
June 2020 updates
July 2020 updates
Monday, August 3
Tuesday, August 4
Wednesday, August 5
Thursday, August 6
Friday, August 7
Monday, August 10