KANSAS CITY, Mo. — We have been tracking the spread of COVID-19 in the Kansas City area since the start of the pandemic.
Whether it's stories about how we bounce back through our Rebound KC effort, important information as school resumes or critical information about the November election, trust 41 Action News to keep you informed.
Businesses finding unique ways to serve our community can share ideas and connect on our KC Open for Business Facebook group.
Updates on the spread of the virus and how it is affecting the metro can be found below for Oct. 7.
6 p.m. | From store closures on Thanksgiving to social distancing and capacity limits, experts say the holiday shopping season will look very different during the pandemic. Some major companies are trying to offset the crowds by offering Christmas sales as early as this month. —AW
4:45 p.m. | The Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health Department says members of the Free State High School football team were identified as close contacts of a positive COVID-19 case that stemmed from an Oct. 2 football game at Mill Valley High School in Shawnee.
The health department in Douglas County says the positive case was not a member of the Free State team. It also said that investigators with the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment determined that exposure during the game was limited to the Free State side. —AW
4:10 p.m. | Kansas reported 1,969 new COVID-19 cases across the state on Wednesday, marking a state record for new cases reported in a single day. The previous record was 1,571 on Sept. 28, according to data kept by 41 Action News.
An additional 17 deaths also were reported in Kansas on Wednesday, which is the third-highest reported in a single day since Sept. 16 (24 on Sept. 30 and 20 on Oct. 2). —AW
3:45 p.m. | The Blue Springs School District says that under a revised order from Jackson County, it will now allow significantly more fans in the stands at upcoming football games.
The district will now cap attendance at 20% of stadium capacity or 1,000 spectators. The change comes after the Jackson County Health Department last week amended an emergency health order, allowing for gatherings of more than 100 people if permission is sought beforehand.
A lawsuit filed by the Blue Springs School District against Jackson County over the gathering limits also has been dismissed, records show. —AW
2 p.m. | Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman will hold a briefing at 4 p.m. Wednesday to discuss COVID-19 updates in the state. The briefing will be streamed live on the 41 Action News Facebook page. —AW
1:20 p.m. | The North Kansas City School District confirmed Wednesday that a positive COVID-19 case at Winnetonka High School has resulted in 17 people being placed into quarantine, per county health policy and national guidelines.
According to the most recent data on the NKC Schools COVID-19 dashboard, 21 students and seven staff members tested positive for the virus from Sept. 20-26, including 15 elementary school students and at least six people who were exposed on campus.
“Safety is top priority for NKC Schools students and staff, these extensive precautions and protocols are in place to ensure a safe learning environment for everyone,” Susan Hiland, the district’s director of media and public relations, said. — TP
11:46 a.m. | The Glenwood Arts Theatre will reopen to cinema fans starting Wednesday, Oct. 21, it announced Wednesday.
The theater, which has been closed since mid-March due to the pandemic, will have limited films and show times.
After the opening day, the theater will only be open on weekends. — DM
11 a.m. | The Kansas City Chiefs said Wednesday that fans will continue to be allowed at Arrowhead Stadium under the same reduced capacity for the next two home games. Attendance will be capped at 22% for the games against the New York Jets on Nov. 1 and the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 8.
Tickets for both of those games go on sale to season ticket members on Monday, Oct. 12. —AW
10:50 a.m. | Cineworld Group will close all 536 of its Regal Cinemas locations in the U.S., effective Thursday. The chain has one location in the Kansas City metro at the Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City.
The movie theater industry has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Leawood-based AMC Theatres, the largest movie theater chain in the U.S., has reopened most of its theaters but has reported significant losses this year, including $561 million in its most recent quarter. —AW
10:40 a.m. | According to a new study from the National Safety Council, the inconsistency in how U.S. states have managed the coronavirus has hampered the country's response to the pandemic.
“This pandemic is not finished by a long shot, so that's another reason why we put this report out when we did is because we can learn from this,” said Lorraine Martin, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. —AW
10:25 a.m. | Staff with Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools will return to the district's Central Office building on Thursday following several positive tests that prompted a closure.
The district said last week that "about five" staff at the Central Office tested positive for COVID-19. The Unified Government Public Health Department recommended that the offices not reopen until Thursday. —AW
9:12 a.m. | The University of Kansas Medical Center is one of 32 institutions receiving a grant from the National Institutes of Health to help with COVID-19 testing strategy in disproportionately affected communities. The medical center will work in 10 Kansas counties, including Crawford, Finney, Lyon, Riley, Saline, Steward, Douglas, Johnson, Sedgwick and Wyandotte counties.
The goal of the program, called Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Underserved Populations, or RADx-UP, is to develop a community-led response to COVID-related inequalities.
8:46 a.m. | University of Kansas Health System officials gave their daily COVID-19 update. -KB
7:30 a.m. | Just starting your day? We’ve got you covered with a quick look at what you need to know. -KB
7:15 a.m. | The New England Patriots had another player test positive for COVID-19 after playing the Kansas City Chiefs Monday. Patrick Mahomes was photographed hugging that player at the game, but the Chiefs reportedly all tested negative for the virus Wednesday morning. -KB
7 a.m. | Missouri will receive 1.8 million rapid COVID-19 tests from the federal government. State officials said they have already received 120,000 of those tests. The state is still working on the plan for the distribution of those tests. -KB
Previous coverage:
March 2020 updates
April 2020 updates
May 2020 updates
June 2020 updates
July 2020 updates
August 2020 updates
September 2020 updates
Thursday, Oct. 1
Friday, Oct. 2
Monday, Oct. 5
Tuesday, Oct. 6
