KC metro adds over 300 new COVID-19 cases as average falls to lowest in three months
The Kansas City metropolitan area added more than 300 new COVID-19 cases, driving the weekly average to its lowest 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 304 coronavirus cases for a total of 134,237 to date.
The seven-day average for daily new cases fell to 334. One week ago, it sat at 585 and two weeks ago, it was 552, according to data maintained by The Star.
The average has not been this low since mid-October.
Thirteen more deaths were reported with three in Kansas City, one in Jackson County, seven in Johnson County and two in Wyandotte County, raising the metro’s total to 1,775.
The University of Kansas Health System reported another drop in patients being treated for the virus with 30, down by four from Thursday. Ten patients were in the intensive care unit with four on ventilators.
“The numbers this week continue to be really good and I think we’re really happy about that,” said Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. “I think that’s the same thing for other hospitals around the city as well.”
On Friday, Kansas confirmed 281,562 cases including 4,101 deaths. That includes a 6-year-old, the youngest person to die from the virus in the state, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said.
The monthly positive test rate was 5.7%.
The state has distributed 413,350 doses of the vaccine with 278,445 administered, covering about 7.5% of the population.
Missouri reported 464,444 cases including 7,130 deaths. The seven-day positive test rate was 8.8%.
The state has distributed 945,850 vaccine doses with 505,207 administered, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state reported the number of shots as 632,213, covering 8% of the population. Number vary, health officials have said, due to a lag in reporting.
Across the country, more than 26.7 million people have contracted the virus and 456,900 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
This story was originally published February 5, 2021 at 5:18 PM.
