Kansas City metro adds more than 500 COVID-19 cases, most in more than a month
The Kansas City metropolitan area added more than 500 new COVID-19 cases Friday, the highest daily increase in over a month.
The area encompassing Kansas City and Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson and Wyandotte counties on the Kansas side gained 535 cases for a total of 38,359 to date.
This is the eighth day the metro has exceeded more than 500 new daily cases since the virus was first reported in the area on March 7.
Johnson County had the most of the new cases reported Friday with 217, followed by Kansas City at 125, Jackson County at 109, Wyandotte County had 39, Clay County at 26 and Platte County at 19.
Earlier this month, the seven-day average for new cases dropped, hitting 262 on September 13. But it has since increased within the last seven days to at least 300. As of Friday, the average is 338, according to data compiled by The Star.
One death was reported in Jackson County on Friday, raising the metro’s total to 547.
The University of Kansas Health System reported 23 patients hospitalized for the virus, up two from Thursday.
“We’re doing pretty good,” said Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at the health system. “We would certainly like to be in the teens, but I think we are going to be seeing those fluctuations as we have. Any number that is lower is better, but it just is kind of a day by day thing.”
On Friday, Missouri reported 120,289 cases to date, including 1,994 deaths. The seven-day positive test rate was 11.8%.
Kansas has confirmed 1,366 new cases since Wednesday, making a statewide total of 56,592 cases, including 632 deaths.
The state’s most recent positive test rate was 8.2%, according to Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Lee Norman, the ninth highest in the country.
Nationwide, more than 7 million people have contracted the virus and 203,329 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
This story was originally published September 25, 2020 at 3:13 PM.
