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.
We are also keeping track of which metro jurisdictions are under stay at home orders for the foreseeable future, only allowing for essential business and activities.
We've also compiled a detailed list of school district meal service options while schools are closed.
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 March 25.
10 p.m. | Three more COVID-19 cases have been reported in Johnson County, Missouri. Johnson County, Missouri, Emergency Management Operations announced the new cases on Facebook Wednesday afternoon.
A second case also was reported at Whiteman Air Force Base. The base said in a news release that the individual is "an adult, military member assigned to the 131st Bomb Wing."
Col. Jeffrey Schreiner, 509th Bomb Wing commander, said in the release that the unit had "already taken proactive measures to prevent the spread of viruses in their work-centers."
9:13 p.m. | Hy-Vee will give employees a 10 percnet "appreciation bonus" for hours worked between March 16 and April 12, according to a news release. Hy-Vee also will offer new benefits to employees because of the coronavirus pandemic.
7:56 p.m. | A University of Missouri-Kansas City student hastested positive for COVID-19. The student, according to a letter sent from the UMKC chancellor's office, does not live on campus and is "being treated in isolation, as recommended by the Kansas City Health Department."
7:39 p.m. | Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran announced nearly $2 millionin Health and Human Services grants to help Kansas "clinics community centers and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment" combat COVID-19, according to a news release.
Eighteen organizations will receive funding, including $117,986 to KDHE and $120,510 Lawrence's Heartland Medical Clinic.
5:15 p.m. | Clay County says it has one new case of COVID-19, bringing the total cases there to five. That number does not include Kansas City, Missouri, residents, who are tallied separately by the KCMO Health Department.
4:35 p.m. | Kansas City, Missouri, says 51 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed. Four patients are hospitalized.
4:30 p.m. | After closing all of its U.S. theaters due to COVID-19, Leawood-based AMC Theatres says it has furloughed all corporate employees. The furlough plan calls for working reduced hours at reduced pay or no working hours at no pay. It impacts all employees at the corporate level, including AMC's chief executive officer, according to a spokesperson for the company.
4:20 p.m. | The University of Kansas Hospital says that eight COVID-19 patients are being treated there. Doctors are monitoring several other COVID-19 patients who are well enough to be at home.
3:10 p.m. | Platte County reports two more COVID-19 cases, bringing the total there to four cases. The new patients are a man and a woman in their 40s. The two cases are related, and there is a history of travel, according to the Platte County Health Department.
3 p.m. | The Missouri Department of Human and Senior Services released an update Wednesday afternoon showing a spike in COVID-19 cases. As of 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, state officials were reporting 356 cases.
2:25 p.m. | The Kansas City Royals Charities has launched a Royals Respond Fund to support Kansas City-area nonprofits helping those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, the fund will support the effort to fight hunger due to school closures and quarantines. The first grants will go toward Harvesters, the Community Food Network, the Don Bosco Center’s Meals on Wheels program, and Cross-Lines Community Outreach.
2:05 p.m. | Blue Valley schools will host a drive-thru medical supply donation drive from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Hilltop Campus, 7720 W. 143rd St. in Overland Park.
People are asked to drop off donations of personal protective equipment for health care workers, including unused N95 masks, unopened surgical masks, unopened hand sanitizer and unopened liquid or bar soap.
The event is sponsored by Take Time to Care, not Blue Valley schools, and will benefit the University of Kansas Medical Center and Children's Mercy Hospital.
1:50 p.m. | WIC clinics in Johnson County continue to operate. Current participants will continue to receive benefits, and new applicants will be assessed and issued benefits. On Monday, the requirement that a person must be physically present to receive services was waived. For more information in Johnson County, call 913-826-1302.
1:30 p.m. | Kansas now has 126 positive cases of COVID-19 in the state, an increase of 28 from Tuesday, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman said at a news conference. Norman said he expects to see 300-400 cases in the state by the end of March, "probably closer" to the 400 estimate.
1:25 p.m. | Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt says he issued a cease-and-desist letter to a Springfield area man who was found to be selling N95 masks at inflated prices. Anyone who sees potential price-gouging during the coronavirus pandemic should contact the Missouri Attorney General's Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-392-8222 or submit a complaint online.
1:10 p.m. | Though no Fountain Day event will be held this year, a spokesperson for the Kansas City, Missouri, Parks and Recreation Department says all fountains will still be turned on Friday, April 17.
12:15 p.m. | Leavenworth County reports three new cases of COVID-19, bringing its total to 11 cases. There are now 114 confirmed cases in Kansas.
12:05 p.m. | The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department says officers will not stop anyone to ask for paperwork during the stay-at-home order. If an officer stops you to ask for paperwork, call 911.
Noon | Many Kansas City-area parks have announced closures of playground areas due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The parks and trails remain open for walking and biking, but residents are urged to practice social distancing and stay home if they are exhibiting symptoms.
11:45 a.m. | Balls Food Stores, which operates various Hen House Market, Price Chopper, Sun Fresh and Payless Discount Foods stores in greater Kansas City, is hiring at all locations. For more information, visit the company's website.
11:40 a.m. | The Missouri Supreme Court has suspended most in-person proceedings through April 17. State courts remain open for necessary business, though access to those buildings is limited.
11:30 a.m. | The Trolley Run, originally scheduled for April 26, has transitioned to a virtual format. Participants can choose their own four-mile routes and have until June 30 to complete the race. The run benefits the Children's Center for the Visually Impaired in Kansas City, Missouri.
10:40 a.m. | The Johnson County, Kansas, Park and Recreation Department says it is closing all playgrounds and outdoor fitness areas to the public until at least April 23.
The 21 playgrounds and two fitness areas with outdoor exercise equipment will not be physically closed, JCPRD said, but signs will be posted.
The basketball and pickleball courts operated by JCPRD are not officially closed, but signs have also been posted at those locations.
10:05 a.m. | The VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System will close three of its community-based outpatient clinics. Beginning Wednesday, the clinics in Platte City, Wyandotte and Lawrence will be closed. Staff from those clinics will be reallocated to support operations at its two main medical centers or tele-working.
9:55 a.m. | Johnson County health officials report 10 new COVID-19 cases, bring the total in the county to 46 and the total in Kansas to 111. In the greater Kansas City metro area, there are 127 confirmed cases.
9:50 a.m. | Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has requested federal assistance for state and local COVID-19 pandemic preparedness and emergency response efforts. "Although it is continuing to develop, it’s already clear the COVID-19 pandemic will have a more sweeping impact on the entire state of Missouri than any other previous disaster that has affected our citizens," Parson said in a news release. "There is an urgent need for federal assistance to help Missouri families meet today’s challenges and the many more that we will face."
9:30 a.m. | The youngest person to die of the coronavirus outbreak in Missouri was 31-year-old Jazmond Dixon in St. Louis. She was an American Red Cross employee, according to a report from KSDK in St. Louis. The American Red Cross Missouri-Arkansas Region said one other Red Cross employee tested positive and another staff member is "presumed to be positive through a medical assessment, but has not been tested."
8:56 a.m. | Johnson County is collecting donations of cloth medical masks to use for first responders. The drop-off location for the masks changed on Wednesday. You can drop off masks at 205 E. Flaming Road in Olathe at the Johnson County MED-ACT station. Donations will be accepted in a basket from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
8:27 a.m. | Donutology in Kansas City, Missouri, is offering "share to care" donut orders. The shop delivers them to first responders and hospital employees with encouraging notes.
At @donutologykc, you can order #sharetocare donuts-the company delivers them to 1st responders& hospitals-You can also write an encouraging word for them! Thru this, Jillian Moore, a resident OBGYN says she wanted buy some to make her coworkers' day a bit brighter #WeSeeYouKSHB pic.twitter.com/ZNAnm49xMm
— Rae Daniel (@RAEtheReporter) March 25, 2020
7:14 a.m. | The U.S. has passed 800 COVID-19 deaths. Nearly 200 of those are in New York alone. There are more than 55,000 confirmed cases in the country.
6:06 a.m. | Prince Charles, 71, tested positive for COVID-19. His wife, Camilla tested negative. The prince is self-isolating at an estate in Scotland.
5:37 a.m. | The City of Odessa, Missouri, has joined other area jurisdictions in issuing a stay-at-home order to keep residents inside unless they are attending to essential activities to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
5:15 a.m. | The Kansas Department of Commerce announced that all $5 million of the Hospitality Industry Relief Emergency (HIRE) Fund created by Gov. Laura Kelly has already been distributed to businesses in the state. All the distributions were made within 48 hours of the fund's creation.
5 a.m. | The White House and Senate leaders reached an agreement on a $2 trillion stimulus bill to jump-start the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Previous coverage:
Monday, March 16
Tuesday, March 17
Wednesday, March 18
Thursday, March 19
Friday, March 20
Saturday, March 21
Sunday, March 22
Monday, March 23
Tuesday, March 24
