COVID-19 news: Kansas reports 7 more deaths; colleges in region take financial hit
Colleges and universities across Kansas and Missouri are facing a financial blow after moving classes online and sending students home while the cornavirus pandemic rages on.
Short-term costs are expected to be in the millions. Meanwhile, longer-term consequences are unknown.
The news comes as Missouri Gov. Mike Parson says he doesn’t see the the pandemic as a reason for Missourians to cast absentee ballots, and as Kansas announces updated coronavirus case totals Wednesday.
Statewide, there are 1,494 people who have tested positive for the coronavirus in Kansas, according to statistics released Wednesday by state health officials.
There have been 76 COVID-19-related deaths in Kansas, with 7 new deaths reported Wednesday. More than 340 people have been hospitalized with the disease.
Missouri is expected to release updated totals later Wednesday. The state has been reporting about three times as many cases as Kansas, but has also been testing about three times as many people.
Universities, many of which are already operating on tight budgets because of recent enrollment declines and reductions in state funding, are losing millions as they reimburse students for housing, food plans, parking and some activity fees.
The University of Missouri System could lose as much as $180 million and plans to immediately cut administrators’ salaries by 10%, officials announced Tuesday. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has already announced $80 million in cuts to public universities and community colleges because of the pandemic.
At the University of Misosuri-Kansas City, the total impact hasn’t been calculated. But spokesman John Martellaro said “it will be significant.”
Schools on the Kansas side aren’t faring any better.
“What is clear, however, is that we will be losing tens of millions of dollars of revenue through the end of this semester and the summer,” said Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, a spokeswoman at University of Kansas.
Wyandotte County reports another COVID-19-related death
Another person has died from complications related to the coronavirus in Wyandotte County as the number of new cases continues to rise, according to statistics from local health officials.
That person’s death raises the county’s total of COVID-19 deaths to 31, according to the data.
The county also reported more than a dozen more people testing positive for the virus, bringing the county’s total of COVID-19 cases to 361.
Another 187 people are considered probable positive cases based on symptoms they self-reported.
In neighboring Johnson County, 332 people have tested positive for the coronavirus. There have been 19 COVID-19 related deaths.
Parson says no to more Missourians voting absentee
Gov. Mike Parson doesn’t see the fear of spreading or contracting COVID-19, or abiding by stay-at-home orders, as legally permissible reasons for Missourians to cast absentee ballots.
In response to a question from The Star, Parson addressed the matter at his daily briefing Tuesday. He said he did not consider absentee balloting a public health issue.
“The absentee ballot is more of a political issue than it is anything,” he said. “This is a Democrat-Republican issue and that’s where this is all headed, is to a political answer and what’s driving behind this force.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has suggested states encourage mail-in methods of voting.
Local elections around the state, including in Kansas City and Jackson County, will take place on June 2. The statewide primary is scheduled for August with the general election being held in November.
KC’s Boulevardia festival canceled due to COVID-19
This year’s two-day Boulevardia street festival has been canceled because of the coronavirus, organizers announced Tuesday.
“Providing a safe, secure and healthy environment for our pop-up party nation is our top priority,” said Trever Frickey, Boulevardia president, in a statement. “With that in mind, Boulevardia is being canceled for 2020 but we look forward to bringing all the beer, food, music and fun back next year.”
The annual craft beer and music festival, which in previous years has been held in the West Bottoms and the Stockyards District, was to be held June 19 and 20 at Crown Center and Washington Square Park.
Ticket packages purchased through boulevardia.com will be automatically refunded within 10 to 14 days. Hotel rooms booked through one of the festival’s hotel partners with the promotional room rate will be automatically canceled.
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 1:11 PM.
