Live blog: Wyandotte County announces K-12 reopening plan

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 June 22.

6:40 p.m. | Any adult who lives or works in Johnson County may receive a free COVID-19 test from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, 13720 Roe Ave. in Leawood.

The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment will offer the drive-thru testing clinic on a first-come, first-served basis.

Enter the church grounds off Roe Avenue, just south of West 135th Street and follow the signs to one of five testing stations.

“The more we test, the more we know about how COVID-19 is spreading in Johnson County,” JCDHE Director Dr. Sanmi Areola said in a statement. “If we know who is infected, we can isolate those individuals and stop the chain of transmission in the community. We encourage anyone who feels ill with COVID-19 symptoms or thinks they may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 to take advantage of this free testing.”

Please do not have pets in the car during testing, which will be done by nasal swab.

5:45 p.m. | President Donald Trump committed to a second stimulus package Monday in a wide-ranging interview with The E.W. Scripps Company.

"We will be doing another stimulus package," Trump said. "It will be very good, very generous."

When asked how much money people will receive with the next stimulus bill, Trump said, "You'll find out about it."

Trump said his administration will probably announce the next package over the next couple of weeks. He added that he thinks the legislation will be bipartisan.

5 p.m. | Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced Monday she is recommending communities remain in Phase 3 of the Ad Astra recovery plan.

4:30 p.m. | As educators in the Shawnee Mission School District map out a return to the classroom this fall, one thing is clear - there’s going to be lots of hand sanitizer.

As part of its Monday meetings, the Shawnee Mission School District Board of Education is set to review expenditures of nearly $68,000 to purchase alcohol gel sanitizer and dispensers.

4:25 p.m. | With the traditional start of school roughly two months away, education officials in Wyandotte County announced Monday an outline of what the first day of school might look like this fall.

As part of it’s phased coronavirus pandemic reopening plan, the county sits in its third phase, a phase scheduled to last until at least July 6.

Officials acknowledge they don’t know what phase the county will be in by the time school is slated to start in mid to late August, but even in its current phase, leaders would plan to open all K-12 schools at regular capacity for student instruction and activities.

3:30 p.m. | The Kansas City VA Medical Center is offering free COVID-19 testing to veterans. The testing will be held from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 27, at the Shawnee Community Based Outpatient Clinic, 6830 Anderson St., Shawnee. Tests will be administered to the first 300 veterans. Onsite enrollment and registration will be available. Veterans should bring their DD-214 and a picture ID for enrollment.

1:50 p.m. | The Salvation Army will distribute boxes of fresh produce and dairy at seven locations across the Kansas City metro over the next seven weeks. The free food is distributed as part of the USDA's Farm-to-Table program.

Each location will distribute the boxes from 10 a.m. to noon on the following dates:

• June 25: Eastside Corps, 914 Bellefontaine, KCMO
• July 2: Independence Corps, 14700 E. Truman Road, Independence

• July 9: Blue Valley Corps, 6618 E Truman Road, KCMO
• July 16: Northland Corps, 5306 N. Oak Trafficway, KCMO
• July 23: Westport Corps, 500 W. 39th St., KCMO
• July 30: Olathe Corps, 420 E. Santa Fe St., Olathe
• Aug. 6: KCK Corps, 6723 State Ave., KCK

All boxes will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

1 p.m. | According to the latest information from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Wyandotte County has overtaken Ford County once again for the most COVID-19 cases in the state.

The latest update from the state health department shows 1,934 cases that have been identified in Wyandotte County during the pandemic.

Noon | COVID-19 cases continue to spike in Kansas and Missouri. Cases have been on the rise in Missouri as well as the seven-county Kansas City metro area for at least a few weeks, but now Kansas saw its first significant spike in new cases since the outbreak peaked in early May.

10:10 a.m. | Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced Monday that she has accepted the resignation of Kansas Department of Labor Secretary Delia Garcia.

Garcia's department has faced scrutiny as thousands of unemployed Kansans have struggled to receive assistance through the state's unemployment programs.

“As Governor, I’m responsible for KDOL’s handling of unemployment claims. I am taking immediate action to ensure Kansans who are out of work, through no fault of their own, are getting the assistance they need,” Kelly said in a news release. “I want to thank Secretary García for her service to Kansas. While states around the country have struggled to manage unemployment claims during the worst public health crisis in a century, Secretary García inherited an agency that had its funding, its technology, and its staff gutted by the previous administration.”

Ryan Wright, Kelly's deputy chief of staff, will serve as acting secretary until a permanent replacement is made.

9 a.m. | Residents in Independence will have to wait a while longer to move to phase two of the city’s reopening plan.

As originally planned, the city’s phase one reopening, which started on June 1, anticipated lasting 30 days before moving on to phase two, which would have been on July 1.

In advance of that date, Independence Mayor Eileen Weir said Monday that the city won’t be able to meeting the requirements of phase two.

“Because of the increase of COVID-19 cases that we have seen in Independence and around Jackson County, and the lack of a sustained decreases, we will not be moving on to phase on July 1,” Weir said in a video posted on Twitter.

Weir said that the city had learned many things in the past month, and would use that information to start to reopen certain facilities.

The mayor did not provide a timeline on when the city would re-evaluate moving to phase two.

8:46 a.m. | University of Kansas Health System officials gave their daily COVID-19 update.

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

7:16 a.m. | The Fort Osage School District is making boxes of fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy and 10 pounds of pre-cooked and froze chicken available to anyone who needs it. The boxes are available to pick up on June 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of Osage Trail Middle School while supplies last. Those who decide to pick up food should remain in their car when they arrive.

5:30 a.m. | Several Missouri and Kansas cities are on a list that tracks the highest average growth rate of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Joplin, Missouri, even tops the list with an 11.9 percent growth rate.

5 a.m. | Worlds of Fun will reopen to season pass holders on Monday. Reservations and pre-visit health screenings will be required to enjoy the park and all visitors must wear masks. Regular admission is expected to resume in July.

Previous coverage:
March 2020 updates
April 2020 updates
May 2020 updates
Monday, June 1
Tuesday, June 2
Wednesday, June 3
Thursday, June 4
Friday, June 5
Monday, June 8
Tuesday, June 9
Wednesday, June 10
Thursday, June 11
Friday, June 12
Monday, June 15
Tuesday, June 16
Wednesday, June 17
Thursday, June 18
Friday, June 19