‘Unfortunately there’s a slight uptick’: KC metro adds nearly 170 new COVID-19 cases
The Kansas City area’s rolling average for new COVID-19 cases rose again on Wednesday as the area recorded more than 160 new cases.
The area encompassing Kansas City and Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas added 169 COVID-19 cases for a total of 140,630.
“Unfortunately there’s a slight uptick now,” said Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at the University of Kansas Health System.
The seven-day average for new cases rose to 128. One week ago, it was 102 and two weeks ago, it was 127, according to data maintained by The Star.
Four deaths were added Wednesday, raising the metro’s total to 2,065.
The University of Kansas Health System reported 11 patients being treated for the virus, the same number as Tuesday. Five were in the intensive care unit with two on ventilators.
On Wednesday, Kansas confirmed 298,904 cases including 4,837 deaths to date. The monthly positive test rate was 2.8%.
The state has distributed 1,274,600 doses of the vaccine and administered 894,507 doses, with 20.5% of the population having initiated vaccination, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said.
Missouri reported 484,531 cases including 8,358 deaths. The seven-day positive test rate was 4.5%.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said 1,865,837 doses of the vaccine had been administered, with 20% of the population having initiated vaccination. The state has received 2,623,475 doses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Across the country, more than 29.5 million people have contracted COVID-19 and 537,417 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
