New COVID cases in KC metro drops to fewer than 300 for first time since late October
The Kansas City metropolitan area added fewer than 300 new COVID-19 cases for the first time in more than three months.
The area encompassing Kansas City and Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas gained 269 coronavirus cases for a total of 132,827 to date.
The last time the number of new cases was in the 200s was Oct. 19 when the metro recorded 228.
The seven-day average for daily new cases dropped to 464. One week ago, the average sat at 580 and two weeks ago, it was 698, according to data maintained by The Star.
The University of Kansas Health System reported 43 patients with the virus, down from 50 on Friday. Ten patients were in the intensive care unit with five on ventilators.
“We have been very happy this past week,” said Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, ”for the city as a whole, the metro area as a whole for new cases, but also here at our health system for hospitalizations.”
The number of hospitalizations have dropped by more than half since Nov. 30 when the health system had a record 102 virus patients.
A stronger mask culture and an increasing number of vaccinations have improved the numbers, officials at the health system said.
Two deaths were added Monday in Johnson County and three were recorded in Wyandotte County, raising the metro’s total to 1,706.
On Monday, Kansas reported 276,668 cases including 3,809 deaths. The monthly positive test rate was 8.6%.
The state reported that 413,350 doses of the vaccine had been distributed with 229,459 administered, meaning 6.4% of the population has been vaccinated.
Missouri confirmed 459,597 cases including 6,748 deaths. The seven-day positive test rate was 9.3%.
Missouri has received 835,400 doses and given 462,202 shots, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state reported that 515,850 doses had been administered. Numbers vary due to reporting lags, health officials have said.
Across the country, more than 26.2 million people have contracted the virus and 442,207 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
This story was originally published February 1, 2021 at 3:24 PM.
