New cases of the coronavirus in the Kansas City metro area hold steady at 28
The number of new cases of the coronavirus in the Kansas City metropolitan area held steady Tuesday.
Twenty-eight additional cases were reported, the same increase that Monday saw.
A total of 1,946 cases have been identified in Kansas City and Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson and Wyandotte counties on the Kansas side.
Two more deaths were reported Tuesday, one in Kansas City and one in Johnson County. The metro has recorded 119 COVID-19 deaths.
Visit KC announced that 44% of its positions will be furloughed or eliminated as the city struggles with the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus.
The nonprofit attributed the staffing changes to a decrease in business and leisure travel, which has impacted the hotel occupancy tax, the organization’s largest source of funding.
“These difficult decisions are critical to our organization’s ability to weather the current environment,” CEO Jason Fulvi said in a statement. “Still, united with our partners in the hospitality industry, we remain steadfastly committed to our mission, and we look forward to welcoming visitors back to our destination when the time is right and it’s safe to do so.”
Last month, Visit KC said canceled conventions and events represented 55,000 hotel room nights and an estimated $47 million impact.
On Tuesday, Kansas reported 3,491 cases including 124 deaths. Missouri said it had 7,303 cases including 314 deaths.
More than 1 million coronavirus cases have been identified in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University.
