Church conference in Kansas City, Kansas, linked to 44 COVID-19 cases, five deaths
A cluster of coronavirus cases tied to a church conference in Kansas City, Kansas, has grown to 44 cases and five deaths, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said Thursday.
Miracle Temple Church of God in Christ at 2106 Quindaro Boulevard hosted the Kansas East Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction’s Ministers and Workers Conference from March 16-22.
The Wyandotte County Health Department believes 150 to 200 people attended the event.
KDHE announced March 31 that multiple people at the gathering may have been exposed to the virus. At that time, at least seven cases were said to be connected to the church gathering.
By April 8, that number had climbed to 15.
A spokeswoman for Kansas East Jurisdiction, the organizers of the conference, said they had implemented safety measures and continue to take the situation seriously. Since the conference concluded, the organization has notified attendees about positive cases and encouraged those who may have been impacted to get tested.
According to Wyandotte County, 16 of the 44 cases involve residents of the county.
The state health department said 19 of the church cases involve hospitalizations.
Wyandotte County has been hit particularly hard by COVID-19. As of Thursday, 379 cases including 34 deaths have been reported there.
More than two-thirds of the people dying from the virus in the county are black, according to newly released data by county health officials. The county launched an equity task force this week to address the disparities.
The state’s largest outbreak is at Riverbend Post Acute Rehabilitation, a nursing facility in Kansas City, Kansas, where 116 cases and 19 deaths have been reported.
This story was originally published April 16, 2020 at 4:37 PM.
