Average for new COVID-19 cases in KC metro drops to levels not seen since July
The Kansas City metropolitan area added more than 200 new COVID-19 cases, dropping the weekly average down to levels not seen since the summer
The area encompassing Kansas City and Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas gained 222 coronavirus cases for a total of 135,695 to date.
The seven-day average for new cases fell to 252. The last time the average was this low was July 7, according to data maintained by The Star. One week ago, the average sat at 424 and two weeks ago, it was 523.
Chief medical officer Steve Stites credited the decline in new cases and hospitalizations to a number of changes.
“I like the numbers continuing to drop,” Stites said. “I like to watch that rolling seven-day average in Kansas City — I’m watching that number drop. Those are all the right signs and I think it’s got to be a combination of masking along with better behavior that people are doing and vaccination. And let’s be honest, there is a percentage of the population who has had COVID now and might have some protection.”
The metro, however, did add 43 deaths on Thursday, raising the total to 1,847. The spike was in part due to the weekly review of death certificates conducted by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Across the state, 287 deaths associated with COVID-19 were added, the department said.
On Thursday, Missouri reported 469,223 cases including 7,431 deaths. The seven-day positive test rate was 7.6%.
A total of 764,378 vaccine doses have been administered, covering 9.4% of the population. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that number as 694,992 with 1,058,775 delivered. Numbers vary due to a lag in reporting, health officials have said.
Kansas confirmed 284,894 cases including 4,303 deaths to date. The monthly positive test was 5.7%.
Kansas has distributed 552,775 vaccine doses and administered 331,022 shots, covering 8.5% of the population, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said.
The University of Kansas Health System reported 27 patients being treated for the virus, down from 30 on Wednesday. Eight patients were in the intensive care unit and six on ventilators.
Across the country, more than 27.3 million people have contracted the virus and 473,873 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
