KC metro breaks record for 7-day virus infection average, with 858 new cases Sunday
Another 858 residents in the Kansas City metro area have tested positive for the coronavirus, health officials reported Sunday.
In total, the virus has infected 58,919 residents and killed 835 people across the metro, which encompasses Kansas City and Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri, and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas.
With more than 6,200 new infections reported across the region in the last seven days, the seven-day rolling average for new cases rose Sunday to 794 — the highest since the pandemic began. This time last week, that average was 585. Two weeks ago, it was 364.
For two days in a row this week, more than 1,000 new infections were reported across the metro, a first for the region.
Health care workers recently told The Star of the hopelessness and burnout some in their profession are feeling as infections rise. On average, the virus killed eight people every day last week across the metro.
As of Sunday, Kansas City outpaced other jurisdictions in the metro in the total number of infections, with 16,915 cases and 227 deaths. Johnson County, though, has suffered six more deaths, with 233 fatalities and 16,873 infections.
Across Missouri, 209,197 residents to date have been infected, including 3,153 who have died. In the last seven days, the state’s positive test rate has been 18.5%.
When it last released data Friday, Kansas reported 97,633 infections and 1,166 deaths. There were 297 active clusters and 693 patients hospitalized for the virus.
This story was originally published November 8, 2020 at 3:10 PM.
