Big teen party in Lee’s Summit linked to more COVID-19. Officials want everyone tested
Jackson County health officials have linked five positive cases of COVID-19 to a big party of teenagers July 10 in the Lee’s Summit neighborhood of Lakewood.
There were 100 to 200 people at the party, most of them ages 14 to 16, possibly from six local high schools, the county health department said in a statement Friday.
Eastern Jackson County is currently in Phase 2.5 of its recovery plan, which limits large gatherings and social events to no more than 100 people.
Three other partiers who have coronavirus symptoms have been tested and are awaiting results, the department said.
The health department has scheduled a testing clinic for noon to 3 p.m. Monday for others who were there. To register, email: COVID19@tmcmed.org. The tests are free, and will be given at the Jackson County Health Department, 313 S. Liberty St., in Independence.
Officials believe students from these high schools were at the party:
▪ Truman
▪ Blue Springs
▪ Blue Springs South
▪ Grain Valley
▪ Lee’s Summit North
▪ Lee’s Summit West
Identifying and finding people who were there and might have been exposed to COVID-19 has been tough because there wasn’t a complete guest list, said health department officials in explaining why they made the news public.
Since it’s been almost two weeks since the party, they advise everyone who was there to get tested, even if they don’t feel sick.
People who don’t have symptoms can still carry the virus and pass it to others who can suffer the worst effects of the disease — including older people like parents, grandparents, neighbors, aunts and uncles, coaches and teachers.
Another party attended by young people over the Fourth of July weekend in Cass County led to at least 50 confirmed coronavirus cases, maybe more.
Local public health officials and pediatricians are warning parents that teenagers and young adults are getting sick and helping to drive up cases in the metro.
Pediatricians have called on parents to do the hard work right now when it comes to their kids: Teens need to stop going to big parties, stop hanging out in big groups and must follow COVID-19 prevention rules that include wearing a mask when you can’t stay a safe six feet away from others and staying home when sick.
Johnson County pediatrician Dr. Natasha Burgert said cases among teens started picking up the last week of June in her office and have been escalating ever since.
“Now it has been teenage-to-teenage exposure, which has happened exponentially … for some families who are not choosing to stay home or not making teens stay home. Then it started to spread like wildfire after the Fourth of July,” she said.
“Now in the last week it’s the teenagers now sending it to the younger siblings too. So it’s all starting to escalate, as we would expect, because that is what happens with a viral illness. This is not a surprise to us.
“But it’s important that the Kansas City area know that it’s legit happening. And if we are knocking on the door of keeping our kids at school, we gotta tighten down.”
This story was originally published July 24, 2020 at 5:07 PM.
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