Kansas City metro adds more than 400 new COVID-19 cases, weekly average on decline
The Kansas City metropolitan area added more than 400 new COVID-19 cases, dropping the weekly average to levels not seen since early November.
The area encompassing Kansas City and Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas gained 433 coronavirus cases for a total of 125,947 to date.
The seven-day average for new cases sits at 622. One week ago, the average was 1,032 and two weeks ago, it was 837, according to data maintained by The Star. The average has been on the decline for seven consecutive days. The last time the average was in the 600s was Nov. 5. The average peaked Nov. 22 when it hit 1,199.
Two deaths were reported Tuesday in Jackson County, raising the metro’s total to 1,555.
The University of Kansas Health System reported 67 patients hospitalized with the virus, up one from Friday. Twenty-one patients are in the intensive care unit with 10 on ventilators.
“We haven’t seen the huge surge that we were a little bit nervous about so far,” said chief medical officer Steve Stites.
On Tuesday, Kansas reported 259,822 cases including 3,525 deaths. The monthly positive test rate was 10.7%.
The state has received 263,175 doses of the vaccine with 97,779 doses administered, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said 117,434 doses had been administered. Numbers vary due to a lag in reporting, health officials have said.
Missouri confirmed 440,197 cases including 6,263 deaths. The seven-day positive test rate was 12.7%.
Missouri has received 528,800 doses of the vaccine and 190,447 have been administered, the CDC said.
Across the country, more than 24.1 million people have contracted the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. surpassed 400,00 deaths on Tuesday.
