Coronavirus
COVID-19 news: 1,106 cases in Kansas, with 4 more deaths; unemployment up across metro
As the number of new coronaviruses cases are reported in Kansas, four more people have died from the disease, according to statistics released from state health officials Thursday.
A total of 1,106 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Kansas, which is up 60 new cases, or nearly 6%, from Wednesday.
The number of people who have died from COVID-19 has reached a total of 42 as of 11 a.m. Thursday. That’s up from 38 reported the previous day, according to the data.
Health officials reported that 263 people have been hospitalized with the disease. About 9,670 tests have returned negative, according to the data.
More deaths reported in Johnson and Wyandotte counties
The number of people dying from coronavirus rose again Wednesday as both Wyandotte and Johnson counties reported new deaths.
In Wyandotte County, 16 people have died from COVID-19, up three from Wednesday. Johnson County is reporting 12 people have died, up one from the day before.
One of the new deaths in Wyandotte County is from the Riverbend Post Acute Rehabilitation, raising the number of COVID-19 deaths linked to the nursing facility to seven.
Several of the Kansas’ coronavirus-related deaths have been linked to clusters in Kansas City, Kansas, including at the nursing facility and at church gatherings.
Those deaths came as the number of new cases of the coronavirus are found.
Wyandotte County saw the number of its confirmed cases rise to 260 people, up 32 new cases from Wednesday. An additional 121 people probably have contracted COVID-19 based on self-reporting of their symptoms, but have not yet been tested.
The number of people testing positive for the coronavirus disease in Johnson County climbed to 247, up eight cases from Wednesday.
Thousand more Kansans, Missourians out of work
More than 140,000 people in Kansas and Missouri filed initial unemployment claims last week, according to data released Thursday by the two states.
Workers filed 91,049 new jobless claims in Missouri, for the week ending April 4. That’s down from 104,230 claims for the previous week. In Kansas, people filed 50,345 new unemployment claims last week, down from 55,428 for the previous week.
More than 237,000 Missourians have filed new unemployment claims in the past three weeks, the state reported. Kansas reports nearly 130,000 people have filed new claims over that time frame.
The weekly benefits are capped at $320 in Missouri and $488 in Kansas.
In late March, a federal $2 trillion relief package was passed that calls, in part, for an additional $600 per week in unemployment benefits for displaced workers. It also extends the benefit eligibility to 39 weeks.
Kansas City postpones Jazzoo until August
The Kansas City Zoo on Wednesday announced that it would be postponing its Jazzoo fundraiser for the first time in 30 years due to concerns over the coronavirus.
The event, which typically attracts 5,000 guests to the Swope Park location, was originally scheduled for June 5, but has been moved to Aug. 28.
“Our primary concern is for the health and safety of our guests, volunteers and staff,” a zoo spokesperson said in a press statement. “Due to the current circumstances, we feel it’s best to reschedule Jazzoo to ensure the best possible event.”
Tickets cost $175 per person. Tickets already purchased will be honored on the new date. The event nets about $600,000 for the zoo, which uses the money to support the animal park’s food budget and educational programs.
Wife of Joco’s first COVID-19 death gets tested
After the death of her husband Dennis Wilson, Johnson County’s first COVID-19 death, Joanna Wilson tried to get tested for the disease because she was his caregiver.
The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment declined her request.
After developing some symptoms, she was finally tested last week through the University of Kansas Hospital and the results came back positive.
Dennis Wilson, 74, of Lenexa, a retired school superintendent, died March 21, just five days after a test confirmed he had coronavirus.
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