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 July 6.
6 p.m. | The Raytown branch of the Mid-Continent Public Library will be closed until further notice after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. The staff member last worked at the branch on June 30.
5:30 p.m. | At least 82 campers and staff members at Kamp Kanakuk in Lampe have tested positive for COVID-19, according to KY3 in Springfield. The state's health director said all staff will now be tested for the virus.
5:20 p.m. | The Shawnee Mission School District has canceled in-person graduation ceremonies scheduled for July 14, 15 and 16. The graduations were postponed in the spring amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement, the school district attributed the cancellation of the rescheduled ceremonies to the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in Johnson County and across the U.S.
In place of live ceremonies, the district said it will broadcast virtual ceremonies live on these dates:
- East, 8 p.m. July 14
- South, 8 p.m. July 14
- North, 8 p.m. July 15
- West, 8 p.m. July 15
- Northwest, 8 p.m. July 16
- Arrowhead, 6 p.m. July 16
- Horizons, 8 p.m. July 16
5 p.m. | Roughly $55 million of federal CARES Act funding will be allocated toward education in Missouri, according to Margie Vandeven, commissioner of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
4:45 p.m. | The FBI is warning people about a spike in fraudulent unemployment insurance claims complaints related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The scams involve the use of stolen personally identifiable information.
The FBI warns people should be aware of the following suspicious activities:
- Receiving communications regarding unemployment insurance forms when you have not applied for unemployment benefits;
- Unauthorized transactions on your bank or credit card statements related to unemployment benefits;
- Any fees involved in filing or qualifying for unemployment insurance;
- Unsolicited inquires related to unemployment benefits;
- Fictitious websites and social media pages mimicking those of government agencies.
Those who believe they were a victim of a scam should contact the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on credit records, as well as notify the IRS through irs.gov or identitytheft.gov.
4:30 p.m. | More than 200 scientists have called for the World Health Organization and others to acknowledge that the coronavirus can spread in the air. That change could alter some of the current measures being taken to stop the pandemic.
4:28 p.m. | More than 3 million Missouri residents have received more than $5.27 billion in stimulus money, while more than 1.3 million Kansans have received more $2.4 billion in Economic Impact Payments, according to the latest information from the IRS.
4 p.m. | Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly urged Kansans to wear face coverings at a Monday news conference, saying the state is at a turning point depending on its residents’ actions.
Kelly also reviewed COVID-19 case numbers, which reflect an upward trend in recent weeks.
Watch Kelly's full press briefing below:
3:20 p.m. | Schools in St. Louis County will reopen with masks, social distancing and some online classes amid an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that County Executive Sam Page said Monday that public and private schools are expected to present their plans to parents and students Tuesday after meeting with county public health officials to set protocols for safely reopening classrooms and school activities, according to an Associated Press report.
3:10 p.m. | The American Heart Association says its annual KC Heart Walk will switch to a virtual format this year due to COVID-19. The virtual event will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 13 on Facebook. Participants will be encouraged to walk in their homes or neighborhoods while practicing social distancing. For more information, visit kcheartwalk.org.
3 p.m. | Johnson County residents ages 12 and older can get a free COVID-19 test from 8-11 a.m. on Friday, July 10, at Gardner Edgerton High School, 425 Waverly Road in Gardner. Children between 12 and 15 years old must have a parent present in the vehicle to give verbal consent for testing.
The first-come, first-served testing clinic is available for anyone with or without symptoms. Five testing stations will be in operation, with expected high demand for the testing, the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment said in a news release.
It's the eighth community testing event that the department has hosted.
12:49 p.m. | The number of COVID-19 cases has ballooned 12% in the last four days in Kansas, including another 758 cases reported Monday. The bulk of those new cases were added in Johnson, Sedgwick and Wyandotte counties along with a 41% increase in Douglas County, where the Kansas Department of Health and Environment now reports 354 cases up from 251 on its last report Friday.
The number of total cases in the seven-county Kansas City area topped 11,000 with the updated totals from Johnson, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties.
10:25 a.m. | The Independence School District began in-person summer school classes on Monday. Students were asked to wear masks.
Welcome back, it's wonderful to be learning together again! We are happy to see our staff and students safely coming together to learn both in-person and virtually today for Independence School District Summer Success! #isdstrong pic.twitter.com/jI2tc9NKny
— Independence School District (@ISDSchools) July 6, 2020
8:50 a.m. | University of Kansas Health System officials gave their daily COVID-19 update.
7:45 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. | The number of high school seniors applying for U.S. federal college aid plunged in the weeks following the sudden closure of school buildings this spring — a time when students were cut off from school counselors, and families hit with financial setbacks were reconsidering plans for higher education, according to the Associated Press.
5 a.m. | The North Kansas City School District will hold July summer school classes in person starting Monday. The district announced the news on Twitter Thursday.
Previous coverage:
March 2020 updates
April 2020 updates
May 2020 updates
June 2020 updates
Wednesday, July 1
Thursday, July 2
Friday, July 3
