Live blog: KC metro sees 18% increase in new cases in last 6 days

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 8.

5:40 p.m. | As Kansas added nearly 700 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman urged residents to continue practicing "anti-contagion policies" to prevent further spread of the virus.

Norman said those policies include mask wearing and social distancing and could include school and business closures.

Watch his full briefing below:

5:05 p.m. | University of Missouri Athletics said Wednesday that 10 student-athletes or athletic staff have tested positive for COVID-19. In all, 377 students and staff have been tested.

Five Mizzou athletes had tested positive for the virus in June. Four of those athletes were asymptomatic.

4:45 p.m. | The Independence School District released its plan for the upcoming 2020-21 school year on Wednesday. It includes the option of in-person or virtual learning.

4 p.m. | The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment says it is working with the Shawnee Mission School District to identify and isolate all positive coronavirus cases at Shawnee Mission East High School. According to a spokeswoman for the health department, there are four original positive cases, and contact tracing is underway by both the department and the school district to identify close contacts and recommend a 14-day quarantine.

2:45 p.m. | There won’t be any fans in the stands at Kansas Speedway when NASCAR’s three national tours swing through town July 23-25.

Kansas Speedway President Pat Warren announced the decision Wednesday afternoon, adding that he hopes it will be safe for fans to attend when NASCAR returns in October.

2:30 p.m. | The seven-county Kansas City metro added 445 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. No additional deaths were reported. The metro has seen an 18.3% increase in new cases in the last six days.

In Missouri, 755 new cases were reported on Wednesday, the second largest increase in a single day, trailing only the 788 new cases added on Tuesday. Statewide, Missouri has seen a 14% increase in new cases during the last six days and has added more than 513 new cases per day on average for the last 10 days.

2:05 p.m. | Wyandotte County will remain in Phase 3 of the Ad Astra plan due to high numbers of new positive cases, county officials said Wednesday. The county had initially extended the third phase of the plan until at least Wednesday.

Officials also said the county is extending COVID-19 testing hours at the Unified Government Public Health Department to 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday. The testing site is open to Wyandotte County residents who either have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19.

1:30 p.m. | Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department Director Dr. Rex Archer said Wednesday he’s been in communication with the Kansas City Royals about their plans for games. The team has already returned to workouts at Kauffman Stadium, and despite a handful of players testing positive for COVID-19, Archer said he believes the team has resources that allow them to approach the games in the safest way possible.

1:25 p.m. | The Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services will offer free COVID-19 testing for restaurant employees in Kansas City.

The three-day testing event will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on July 13-15 at the Homefield Sports Facility, 5300 Bannister Road. Up to 2,000 tests will be administered.

Appointments are required by registering online or calling 877-435-8411.

1:15 p.m. | The annual Show-Me-State Games in Columbia has canceled its summer events due to COVID-19 concerns. It had already canceled 20 of the summer events because of health and safety guidelines and facility availability.

Other factors in the decision to cancel included the withdrawal of athletes because of health concerns, the ability to monitor and enforce social distancing and/or mask usage, and the ability to recruit and train volunteers and sports commissioners, organizers said in a news release Wednesday.

All registered athletes and teams will receive a refund.

12:50 p.m. | Kansas added 678 new COVID-19 cases and four deaths today in reporting from state and local health departments.

The 678 new cases are the third-most added in a single day. The three highest single-day total have all been reported since July 3, while the four additional deaths are the most since June 26.

Kansas now has reported 17,748 confirmed cases and 290 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

12:40 p.m. | Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft says his office is providing a list of notaries who have volunteered to provide notary services at no charge for those who request a mail-in ballot for the upcoming primary and general elections.

Absentee ballot voters cannot be charged a notary fee, but new voting laws do not provide the same exception for mail-in ballots, Ashcroft's office said in a news release.

“I truly appreciate the many organizations and individuals making themselves available to help Missouri voters during this time,” Ashcroft said in the release. “I encourage voters who need notary services to contact a volunteer in their area, and I again thank those who are volunteering their time.”

The free services also are being offered at Secretary of State offices across Missouri, including in Kansas City:

Fletcher Daniels State Office Building
615 E. 13th St., Fifth Floor Rm 513
Kansas City, MO 64106

Registered Missouri voters have until July 22 to request a mail-in or absentee ballot for the August primary election. Oct. 21 is the deadline for the November general election.

12:30 p.m. | The Kansas City VA Medical Center is offering free COVID-19 and serology antibody testing to all veterans. The testing will be held from 8 a.m. to noon on July 18 at the Shawnee Community Based Outpatient Clinic, 6830 Anderson Street in Shawnee.

Onsite enrollment and registration will be available for those not already enrolled. Tests will be administered to the first 300 veterans.

Noon | University of Kansas Chancellor Douglas Girod on Wednesday said he strongly condemns a new federal policy requiring international students to take in-person classes in the fall or risk losing their visas, calling the policy “truly mean-spirited and unworkable.”

11 a.m. | The Kansas City Chiefs announced Wednesday that there won’t be any season tickets for the 2020 season.

With the expectation that health guidelines will force Arrowhead Stadium to have fewer fans in the stands, the Chiefs are automatically crediting all season ticket member payments for the 2020 season forward to the 2021 season.

All tickets for Chiefs games in 2020 will be sold through single-game only sales once the allowed reduced capacity for Arrowhead is determined by the NFL and public health officials.

10:50 a.m. | Two major golf tournaments have been postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The PGA announced Wednesday that the Ryder Cup has been rescheduled for Sept. 21-26, 2021, at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin. It was originally scheduled for Sept. 22-27 of this year.

Likewise, the Presidents Cup, initially slated for Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2021, at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, will now be played Sept. 19-25, 2022.

10:45 a.m. | Local governments have issued mask mandates to slow the spread of coronavirus, but the orders have created a communication barrier for people who are deaf and hard of hearing.

The biggest problem masks pose for deaf and hard of hearing people, they say, is the inability to see facial expressions or read lips.

10:30 a.m. | Some Kansas City metro businesses applied for and received funding through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. The low-interest loans can be forgiven if businesses meet certain conditions, such as rehiring employees and maintaining salary levels.

The SBA released a list on Monday of business borrowing between $150,000 and $10 million under the program. Those who borrowed less than $150,000 are not named in the data. Businesses that borrowed more than $150,000 are identified and account for the majority of all loan dollars.

10:20 a.m. | Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Wednesday signed two executive orders related to driver's license extensions and adult home care licensures.

The first order provides an extension for driver's licenses that would expire before Sept. 15 and sets a staggered deadline for vehicle registrations depending on when the vehicle was purchased, according to a news release from Kelly's office.

The other order amends regulations on licensure of adult care homes put in place by previous executive orders, limiting provisions specifically to adult care homes that were granted provisional licenses for cohorting or isolating residents in response to COVID-19, according to the release.

"Kansas residents and businesses have faced new challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic with resilience and compassion, and have been working hard to protect their family, friends, and neighbors from the threat of the virus,” Kelly said in the release. “These orders will allow Kansans to continue protecting their health and safety, and will be critical to ensure adult care home workers can continue to do their jobs during the pandemic.”

9:30 a.m. | Doctors at the Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center in Kansas City, Missouri, say parents should make an appointment for standard back to school check-ups and immunizations sooner rather than later.

Many districts are still finalizing what school will look like in the fall. Doctors worry if parents wait to get those plans, there may not be enough time to schedule appointments for all children before the start of the school year.

9 a.m. | Students in the Blue Springs School District can return to in-person classes for the fall semester, but families also will have the option to opt out and enroll their children in BSSD Distance Learning instead.

Parents will have to choose the in-person or distance-learning option by Friday, July 17, for the first semester from August through December, according to an email from the district Tuesday night.

8:35 a.m. | University of Kansas Health System officials gave their daily COVID-19 update.

7:30 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 Johnson County Library is partnering with Catholic Charities to serve summer meals to children 18 and under. Up to five breakfast and five lunch meals will be provided per eligible child. The next event will be held from 10-11 a.m. Wednesday, July 8, at the library's Antioch branch, 8700 Shawnee Mission Parkway in Merriam.

Other distributions will be held every Wednesday through July 29, all from 10-11 a.m.

5:20 a.m. | The Jackson County Election Board is offering additional details on how residents can request either an absentee or mail-in ballot and who qualifies for those options.

Every registered voter can request a mail-in ballot, but it will need to be notarized. To vote absentee, residents must meet one of seven reasons. The ballot does not need to be notarized if the resident meets the "incapacitated" or "at-risk for COVID-19" reasons listed on the application.

Applications for mail-in or absentee ballots must be received by 5 p.m. on July 22 for the August primary election and by Oct. 21 for the November general election. Wednesday, July 8, is the last day to register to vote in Missouri for the Aug. 4 election.

5 a.m. | The nonprofit KVC Kansas will distribute boxes of produce and dairy to the public every Wednesday through the rest of the summer. The first 500 people or families who arrive will each receive a box of produce, a box of dairy products and a gallon of milk, free of charge.

The distributions will be held at 10 a.m. at the organization's Olathe office, 21344 W. 153rd St. Cars can begin lining up at 9:30 a.m.

Previous coverage:
March 2020 updates
April 2020 updates
May 2020 updates
June 2020 updates
Wednesday, July 1
Thursday, July 2
Friday, July 3
Monday, July 6
Tuesday, July 7