KC metro adds more than 700 COVID cases as Kansas and Missouri push vaccine rollout
The Kansas City metropolitan area added more than 700 new COVID-19 cases and 16 deaths on Thursday.
The area encompassing Kansas City and Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas gained 710 coronavirus cases for a total of 127,304 to date.
The seven-day average for new cases dropped to 578. The average has not been in the 500s since Nov. 1. One week ago, the average was 911 and two weeks ago, it was 915.
Kansas City reported nine deaths, Jackson County had two, Platte County had three and Johnson County had two. The metro has recorded a total of 1,627 deaths since the pandemic began.
The University of Kansas Health System reported 58 patients hospitalized for the virus, down from 65 on Wednesday. Nineteen patients are in the intensive care unit with 10 on ventilators.
On Thursday, Missouri confirmed 443,838 cases and 6,485 deaths. The seven-day positive test rate was 12.2%. The state announced it will establish nine mass vaccination sites, but cautioned that supply remains limited.
Missouri has received 621,200 doses of the vaccine and administered 265,382, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Kansas reported a total of 263,412 cases and 3,575 deaths. The monthly positive test rate was 10.3%. The state moved into its next phase of the vaccine, allowing those over age 65 and some essential workers to become eligible starting Thursday.
Kansas has received 312,000 vaccine doses and administered 130,434, the CDC said. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said 129,349 doses had been given out. Health officials have said that numbers vary due to reporting lags.
Across the country, more than 24.5 million people have contracted the virus and 408,382 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
