Kansas City metro reports single largest spike in COVID-19 cases since outbreak began
Health officials in the Kansas City metro area Sunday reported 246 additional confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, the largest single-day increase since the outbreak started.
The grim milestone came as the region — which encompasses Kansas City and Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas — saw its seventh consecutive day of a triple digit increase in new COVID-19 cases.
In total, the virus has infected at least 7,785 people in the area, killing 237.
That’s up from 6,469 cases and 222 deaths from the week before and 5,635 cases and 204 deaths from two weeks prior, according to data maintained by The Star.
Before Sunday, the region saw its highest single-day increase Thursday, with 227 new cases. Before that, health officials reported an additional 109 cases Monday, 174 Tuesday, 194 Wednesday, 204 Friday and 162 Saturday.
The recent uptick in cases has prompted officials in Kansas City and Wyandotte County to require the use of masks in public spaces.
National picture
With spikes in infections being reported across the country, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar stressed that “the window is closing” for the U.S. to take action to effectively curb the coronavirus.
Azar, speaking on NBC and CNN, cited recent sharp increases in infections, particularly in the South. He said people have “to act responsibly” by social distancing and wearing face masks, especially “in these hot zones.”
Azar argued that the U.S. is in a better position than two months ago in fighting the virus because it is conducting more testing and has therapeutics available to treat COVID-19.
But he acknowledged that hospitalizations and deaths could increase in the next few weeks, because it is a lagging indicator.
Texas and Florida reversed course on parts of their reopening and clamped down on bars on Friday as the daily number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S. surged to an all-time high of 40,000.
While concern in the U.S. has focused on big states like Texas, Arizona and Florida reporting thousands of new cases a day, rural states are also seeing infection surges, including in Kansas.
Kansas had reported 13,538 cases and 264 deaths when the state last updated its data Friday. The state’s positive test rate was 8.1%, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
In a video Friday, the agency’s secretary, Dr. Lee Norman, said Kansas has recently seen two COVID-19 outbreaks connected to sporting events. He noted sports activities have “barely even started” again and advised people to stay home if they are ill.
“If you pull into a parking lot and you cannot find a place to park, that is a clue that you shouldn’t be there,” Norman said. “And I know it’s not something you want to hear, but that is an unsafe environment because we’re going to see a lot of COVID-19 coming out of sporting events.”
In Missouri at least 20,575 cases of the virus had been detected Sunday, with 997 deaths. That was up more than 300 cases and one death from Saturday. In the state, 5.6% of COVID-19 tests came back positive.
Workplace infection worries increased after Tyson Foods announced that 371 employees at its chicken processing plant in the southwestern corner of Missouri have tested positive for COVID-19.
Around the metro
As of Sunday, Kansas City had reported the most cases in the metro with 2,292, which includes 31 deaths.
Johnson County has seen 86 residents die of the virus, the most in the area. There, officials reported 1,613 cases Sunday — up 63 from Saturday.
Eighty people have died of the virus in Wyandotte County, which has recorded 2,191 cases. That’s up 98 from Saturday.
Health officials in Wyandotte and Johnson counties both reported an additional death Sunday.
In Jackson County, 1,143 people have been infected, including 24 who have died.
Clay County has seen 431 cases, including 10 deaths. Platte County has recorded 115 cases, including six deaths.
Across the U.S., the virus has infected at least 2.5 million people and killed more than 125,700, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 28, 2020 at 3:14 PM.
