May 8 blog: Missouri, Kansas COVID-19 cases continue to surge

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.

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 May 8.

11:02 p.m. | Kansas reported 2,104 additional positive COVID-19 cases for the week ending May 8, marking the second straight week it outpaced Missouri. There were still an additional 1,689 cases reported in Missouri and 123 deaths, the first time the state has seen more than 100 virus-related deaths.

Fueled by increased testing efforts at Triumph Foods and the Lansing Correctional Facility, the seven-county Kansas City area (Johnson, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties in Kansas and Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte counties in Missouri) saw a whopping 1,177 new cases, which is nearly double the most for any previous week (691 for the week ending April 3).

9:52 p.m. | Silverstein Eye Centers Arena in Independence was lit up with alternating blue and red lights Friday to honor Overland Park police officer Mike Mosher and Independence firefighter David Jameson, who both died in the line of duty during the last week.

The arena, which was scheduled to be renamed Cable Dahmer Arena on March 31 but has yet to be rebranded due to the the COVID-19 pandemic, is located on the southeast corner of Interstate 70 and Missouri 291.

9:23 p.m. | According to updated information from the Cass County Health Department, there were two more positives cases discovered and one more death in the county, which now has 69 cases and eight deaths from COVID-19.

Clay County also reported six more positive cases, raising its total outside Kansas City, Missouri, city limits to 96 cases.

7:51 p.m. | Wyandotte County will move to phase one of its reopening plan, also known as the "Red Zone," on Monday.

6:38 p.m. | According to new figures released Friday by the U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service, there have been 1,098,473 stimulus payments to Kansans totaling more than $1.98 billion and 2,482,825 stimulus payments to Missouri residents totaling nearly $4.34 billion.

5:25 p.m. | A group of Liberty parents have organized senior parades for the 2020 Liberty High School and Liberty North High School graduating classes.

The seniors will drive or ride with a parent behind the wheel in a vehicle along the parade route with friends, family and the public asked to line the route and cheer them on following social-distancing guidelines.

The parades will begin at 2 p.m. at the respective high schools with Liberty North’s Senior Car Parade scheduled for May 16 and Liberty High’s Senior Car Parade slated for May 17.

3:40 p.m. | Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas said the city will continue with its "responsible reopening" plan on May 15. Lucas will release further information regarding the reopening of restaurants at a Monday press conference.

3:00 p.m. | Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman said Friday the state stands ready to sanitize N95 masks for health care workers.

The state has secured decontamination systems from the nonprofit research organization Battelle.

Also at Friday's press conference, Norman said the state would begin releasing updated COVID-19 case numbers on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, to free up the department's epidemiologists' time for other work.

2:42 p.m. | A federal grant will deliver $12 million for expanded COVID-19 testing at 29 health care facilities in Missouri. The list includes:

• Compass Health in Clinton, Missouri ($790,64)
• Health Care Coalition of Lafayette County in Lexington, Missouri ($186,394)
• Kansas City Care Clinic ($277,924)
• Northwest Health Services in St. Joseph ($562,579)
• Regional Health Care Clinic in Sedalia, Missouri ($353,734)
• Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center in Kansas City, Missouri($450,874)
• Swope Health Services in Kansas City, Missouri ($757,789)

2:20 p.m. | The Kansas City, Missouri, Municipal Court is holding virtual hearings while the courthouse remains closed to the public.

Those with pending hearings are eligible if they want to do one of the following:

• Enter a plea of guilty on cases that are punishable by fine.
• Request time to pay or modification of payment plan or probation condition modifications.
• Request a continuance of a future court date.
• Request a Legal Aid (court-provided) attorney.

• Resolve outstanding warrant.• Have an attorney who has worked out a plea negotiation with the prosecutor.

Virtual court appearances are only scheduled by request. To apply, send an email to KCMCVirtualDocket@kcmo.org. For more information, click here.

1:55 p.m. | In Kansas, COVID-19 cases in Wyandotte and Ford topped 1,000 on Friday, while the state as a whole reported 247 new cases.

1:19 p.m. | Zona Rosa will donate $10 per public coloring submission to the North Kansas City Hospital Employee Appreciation and Supplies Fund in honor of National Nurses Week. The company will donate up to $5,000. The pictures will be displayed at the shopping center and the coloring pages can be found online. Finished pages should be emailed to ZonaEmail@TrademarkProperty.com.

12:05 p.m. | Beginning Monday, May 18, the Johnson County Library will allow patrons to return checked-out items at its Blue Valley, Lenexa City Center and Monticello branches. New holds on materials can also begin on that date. On May 26, drive-thru hold pickups will resume at those three branches.

11:15 a.m. | A member of Vice President Mike Pence’s staff has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to multiple reports.

This new case comes a day after it was revealed that a personal valet of President Donald Trump had also tested positive for the virus.

11:10 a.m. | Kansas voters will encounter masked election workers seated behind plastic panels when they head to the polls this fall and use disposable stylus pens to cast their ballots.

Secretary of State Scott Schwab said in a news release that the state is receiving $4.6 million in federal aid to prepare for the election, with $2.6 million going to county election officials. The state also plans to spend $1 million on personal protective equipment, including hand sanitizer, disinfectant spray, face masks and disposable gloves, according to the Associated Press.

10:55 a.m. | Amtrak will begin requiring all customers to wear facial coverings in stations, on trains and aboard thruway buses starting Monday, May 11. Customers must supply their own facial covering.

10:30 a.m. | Rabbis are encouraging Jewish Missourians to vote absentee during the coronavirus pandemic because their religious tradition "values life above virtually all else." A letter signed by nearly three dozen rabbis and other leaders posted this week on the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis website expresses concern that going to the polls could endanger lives, according to an Associated Press report.

Missouri law allows casting an absentee ballot due to “religious belief or practice."

10:05 a.m. | Mid-Continent Public Library branches will begin accepting returned items to book drops beginning Monday, May 11. On May 18, the library will launch curbside service, allowing customers to pick up physical items they have on hold.

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

8:56 a.m. | University of Kansas Health System officials gave their daily COVID-19 update.

8:23 a.m. | U.S. deaths linked to COVID-19 have topped 75,000, the most anywhere in the world.

7:37 a.m. | 20.5 million American jobs were eliminated in April, bringing national unemployment to 14.7 percent.

6 a.m. | The Kansas City Chiefs are asking fans to celebrate National Nurse's Week by thanking nurses at the University of Kansas Health System with a note.

5:30 a.m. | Johnson County, Kansas, is accepting partial payments for property taxes that are due Monday, but any part that remains unpaid will accrue interest. The county said it's one strain they cannot lift during the COVID-19 pandemic.

5 a.m. | Deceased taxpayers received stimulus checks from the government due to a lag in data. The government wants next of kin to return the money, but there is no law requiring that to happen, according to the Associated Press.

Previous coverage:
March 2020 updates
April 2020 updates
Friday, May 1
Saturday, May 2
Sunday, May 3
Monday, May 4
Tuesday, May 5
Wednesday, May 6
Thursday, May 7

Editor's note: A previous version of the blog listed that bd's Mongolian Grill in Overland Park and Independence would donate 100 percent of the proceeds from the first day back in business to local hospitals. That fundraiser has been postponed.