Kansas City metro sees triple digit jump in new COVID-19 cases for 6th consecutive day
The Kansas City metropolitan area saw a triple digit increase in new COVID-19 cases for the sixth consecutive day Saturday.
The area encompassing Kansas City and Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas added 162 cases Saturday and reported seven new deaths.
In total, the rapidly spreading virus has infected at least 7,539 people, killing 235.
New case counts have continued to rise in the Kansas City area in June, prompting orders in Kansas City and Wyandotte County requiring the use of masks in public spaces.
The area added 109 cases on Monday, 174 on Tuesday, 194 on Wednesday, 227 on Thursday and 204 on Friday. Thursday was the highest single day increase on record.
Johnson, Clay and Platte counties each reported two new deaths Saturday. Wyandotte County reported one.
Statewide, Missouri reported at least 20,261 cases of the virus Saturday and 996 deaths, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. In the state, 5.6% of COVID-19 tests came back positive.
In Kansas, 13,538 cases and 264 deaths were reported when the state last updated its data Friday. The positive test rate is 8.1%, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The virus has infected more than 2.49 million people and killed more than 125,000 nationwide according to a database maintained by Johns Hopkins University.
This story was originally published June 27, 2020 at 3:50 PM.
