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 9.
8:52 p.m. | Two positive COVID-19 cases involving non-teaching employees at Raymore-Peculiar High School forced the district to delay the start of summer school earlier this week.
The district said the two employees worked in close proximity. The high school was closed Monday for "deep cleaning," which meant middle and high school students didn't start summer school until Tuesday. Elementary school students were allowed to begin Monday as planned.
8:44 p.m. | The Mid-American Arts Alliance announced nearly $600,000 in grants Thursday from CARES Act funding to nonprofit arts organizations and artists.
Five organizations in Kansas or Missouri — ARTSConnect in Topeka; the Arts Council of Johnson County in Overland Park; Folk Alliance International in Kansas City, Missouri; InterUrban ArtHouse in Overland Park; and the Lawrence Arts Center — each received $25,000 grants.
5:10 p.m. | Park University plans to move to hybrid classes for the fall semester, a move that would prevent international students from having to leave the U.S.
5 p.m. | Missouri officials announced a $125 million plan to help colleges and universities reopen in the fall and to train workers in the state, especially those looking to fill in-demand jobs.
4:30 p.m. | Cookware and kitchen chain Sur La Table is closing 56 of its 121 stores as it seeks bankruptcy protection, the latest retail casualty of the coronavirus pandemic.
The privately held Seattle-based company says it has agreed to sell its remaining stores to affiliates of Fortress Investment Group following the bankruptcy procedure and store closures.
According to the company website, the Country Club Plaza will close permanently in August or September.
4:25 p.m. | Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas said in an interview that he plans to extend the mask mandate in the city.
"It will be extended," Lucas said Thursday morning on the Pete Mundo Show on KCMO-AM.
Late Thursday afternoon, Lucas said he will hold a news conference at 9:30 a.m. Friday to announce details of the extension and the next steps in the city's COVID-19 response.
The current mask order is set to expire Sunday.
3:30 p.m. | The Big Ten Conference, comprised of 14 universities spanning from the East Coast to Midwest, will only play in-conference matches this fall.
By limiting matches to conference-only opponents, Big Ten hopes to remain nimble enough to adjust "operations throughout the season and make quick decisions in real-time based on the most current evolving medical advice and the fluid nature of the pandemic," according to a statement.
3:15 p.m. | The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released guidelines Thursday for school districts and parents ahead of the start of the 2020-21 school year.
As part of the guidelines, DESE posted a response to Frequently Asked Questions.
2:30 p.m. | State and local health departments in Missouri reported 849 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, marking the highest single-day increase in cases since the pandemic began. The state also reported 10 additional deaths on Thursday.
The three highest single-day counts for new COVID-19 cases in Missouri have all come in the last week: 849 on Thursday; 788 on Tuesday; and 755 on Wednesday.
The Kansas City metro added 155 new cases on Thursday. There are now 11,888 confirmed cases and 301 deaths in the seven-county metro.
1:45 p.m. | As local municipalities and states decide whether to mandate facial coverings, Starbucks has decided all of its company-owned locations within the U.S. will require them.
In a statement posted Thursday, Starbucks said it will require all customers to wear facial coverings beginning July 15.
1:30 p.m. | United Healthcare said it is awarding $1 million in Empowering Health grants to seven organizations in Kansas, part of $12.3 million donated across 21 states. According to UnitedHealthcare, more than half of the grants will help organizations increase their capacity to fight COVID-19 and support impacted communities.
In Kansas, those receiving the grants include:
- Kansas Food Bank
- Mid-America Regional Council
- Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas
- Johnson County Mental Health Center
- Valeo Behavioral Health Care
- Just Food
- Harvesters Community Food Network
11:50 a.m. | Kansas City, Missouri, officials say a three-day COVID-19 testing event for restaurant staff is now open to all Missouri residents. Registration is required and can be done online or by calling 877-435-8411.
10:10 a.m. | Thursday marks one week since the Johnson County Board of Commissioners adopted Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly's statewide mask mandate.
Since the 4-2-1 vote that put the order in effect in the county, the Johnson County District Attorney's office has received at least 169 complaints of violations.
10 a.m. | The Kansas City Public Library says it will offer computer services again at four of its branches. Appointments must be made online or over the phone for slots at the four locations: the Trails West, Southeast and Lucile H. Bluford branches and the Central Library.
Each computer shift will be one hour, followed by 30 minutes for library staff to clean the computers. Barriers have been installed and computers placed apart to allow for social distancing.
The library says it plans to extend the services to its Plaza branch in the near future.
8:37 a.m. | University of Kansas Health System officials gave their daily COVID-19 update.
8 a.m. | New reports show 1.3 million Americans filed for unemployment last week, the continuation of a steady trend.
7:20 a.m. | Just starting your day? We’ve got you covered with a quick look at what you need to know.
7 a.m. | Dr. Dana Hawkinson with the University of Kansas Health System joined 41 Action News to answer questions about COVID-19.
5:30 a.m. |A second round of stimulus checks could be on the way if Congress can get it passed in their short July session. President Donald Trump said there would be a second round, but many fear party politics could keep a new stimulus package from passing. While Congress discusses another check and who will get it, some people are still waiting on the first.
5 a.m. | When should a family quarantine for COVID-19 and for how long? A local pediatrician said there is no cut and dry answer and each family should consult their doctor or pediatrician. It all depends on who was infected, if they can isolate in the house, what medical conditions are present in the home and several other factors. This could mean over 20 days of quarantine per family. The CDC recommends that people should quarantine if they were within six feet of someone with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes.
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
Wednesday, July 8
