Kansas City metro adds over 1,000 COVID cases again as US awaits vaccine distribution
The Kansas City metropolitan area recorded more than 1,000 new cases of the coronavirus for the fourth straight day, following federal approval for emergency use of a vaccine Friday.
The area encompassing Kansas City and Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri, and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas added 1,105 new cases Saturday, bringing the area to 95,092 total cases of the rapidly spreading virus.
The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,058. Last week the average was 965. Two weeks ago it was 1,003.
Four new deaths were reported Saturday: two in Kansas City, one in Johnson County and one in Clay County. At least 1,134 people in the metro area have died from the virus so far.
Following the Food and Drug Administration’s authorization of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, government officials announced Saturday that states will begin receiving shipments on Monday.
UPS and FedEx will begin delivering vaccines Sunday to distribution centers across the U.S., said Army Gen. Gustave Perna of Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s vaccine development program.
Officials in Kansas and Missouri have said they expect doses to arrive before the end of the week. Both states have developed plans to provide the first doses to healthcare workers.
On Saturday, Missouri listed 342,347 cases, including 4,503 deaths. The positive test rate was 18.5%.
When Kansas last reported numbers Friday, there were 185,294 cases, including 2,072 deaths. The positive test rate was 16.4%.
Nationwide, the virus has infected more than 15.9 million people, killing more than 296,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.
