Overwhelmed with COVID-19 surge, KC metro retaliates with new orders, online learning
As the number of COVID-19 cases skyrockets in the Kansas City area, hospital beds have reached capacity, students are being sent back home to learn virtually and new restrictions have been imposed effective this week.
On Wednesday, the metro surpassed 70,000 total cases. The seven-day average for new cases reached a record high of 1,131, a figure that has climbed rapidly — two weeks ago, it was 632.
The University of Kansas Health System reported a record 85 patients were hospitalized with the virus.
“We’re out of beds in Kansas City,” said Steve Stites, the health system’s chief medical officer. “As the numbers rise in Kansas City, I get more and more concerned that a total lockdown may be a direction we’re going to have to go.”
New orders
On Monday, Mayor Quinton Lucas announced a new mandate requiring restaurants and bars to operate at 50% capacity and close by 10 p.m. Indoor gatherings are limited to 10 people.
Businesses are encouraged to allow employees work remotely as much as possible.
The order takes effect Friday.
Jackson and Wyandotte counties implemented similar rules.
By Wednesday, Clay and Platte counties followed suit with orders beginning Monday.
The Platte County Health Department said it was important that the orders be consistent because of community spread throughout the entire region.
Of the jurisdictions in the metro, Johnson County has the most cases with 20,260 and the most deaths with 252. The board of commissioners adopted the loosest restrictions with gatherings capped at 50 people. There is no capacity limit for dining establishments, but they must close by midnight.
On Wednesday, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced a statewide mask mandate. Masks must be worn inside any public space as well as outdoors when 6-feet of social distancing is not possible. Children 5 and younger are exempt.
In July, Kelly issued a mask order, but the vast majority of counties opted out. State law continues to give county commissions the authority to reject the new order.
Schools
More than 725 staff and students in the Lee’s Summit school district are in quarantine, according to district data.
The school board decided in a special meeting Tuesday to move fourth grade students and older to virtual only classes starting Monday. The change will be in effect until Jan. 25.
On Monday, the Shawnee Mission district said a critical staffing shortage forced them to return to online only class for middle and high school students from Nov. 30 to Jan. 22.
On Wednesday, East Antioch Elementary School, which is in the Shawnee Mission district, moved classes online after the district learned of a potential exposure among several people. School officials said they expect the school to reopen Thursday after contact tracing and deep cleaning had taken place.
Blue Valley middle and high school students will also move to remote learning after Thanksgiving.
Also shifting to online classes is the University of Missouri-Kansas City. UMKC leaders said the decision follows a surge in cases and warnings from health officials that the holiday presents added risks as many travel away from campus.
According to the university website, 243 students and staff members have tested positive for the virus since Aug. 17.
The University of Missouri-Columbia will go virtual after Thanksgiving, as will the University of Kansas and Kansas State University.
Hospitals
Health officials have been sounding the alarm for weeks as they watched the number of cases in the metro rise to unprecedented levels.
The area encompassing Kansas City and Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri, as well as Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas, gained 1,258 cases for a total of 70,057 on Wednesday. More than 900 deaths have been recorded.
“As we can see, the Kansas map is on fire,” said Stites with The University of Kansas Health System. “And so is Missouri. And all of us are being affected so much right now by COVID that we are having to do all sorts of things — open up alternative care areas, take some of our post-anesthesia recovery areas and turn them into hospital beds for patients to be in. We just don’t have enough beds. We’re opening up more ICUs. We’re in the midst of that crisis.”
Last week, the hospital began delaying some scheduled surgeries.
In Topeka, Stormont Vail Health reported a record 91 patients on Tuesday. The hospital converted hallways and waiting rooms into overflow spaces for patients. A medical unit was turned into a COVID-19 unit Monday night.
“We have hope that with vaccines on the horizon, we can eventually stop living this COVID-19 nightmare,” CEO Robert Kenagy said. “But the next few weeks and months promise to be a continuation if people don’t wake up, realize that we are in a crisis and respond appropriately.”
This week, data from Pfizer and Moderna showed two vaccines to be 95% effective, the Associated Press reported.
“Really good news — really effective therapy that will help us change how we live is on the way,” Stites said. “In the meantime, the most important things you can do to stay alive and help us keep patients alive is to follow the rules of infection control that we’ve been preaching for months. It’s all about the mask; it’s all about social distancing; it’s all about staying in your bubble; it’s all about those smaller groups.”
On Wednesday, Kansas confirmed 128,594 cases including 1,326 deaths. There are currently 1,039 hospitalizations with 32% of ICU beds available. The monthly positive test rate was 19.8%.
Missouri reported 253,473 cases including 3,477 deaths. There are currently 2,453 hospitalizations with 31% of ICU beds available. The seven-day positive test rate, excluding repeat tests, was 43.8%.
Across the country, more than 11.4 million people have contracted the virus. The U.S. surpasses 250,000 deaths Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The Star’s Katie Bernard, Allison Kite, Glenn Rice, Sarah Ritter, Jonathan Shorman, Cortlynn Stark and Mara’ Rose Williams contributed to this report.
This story was originally published November 18, 2020 at 5:30 PM.
