Average daily COVID-19 deaths in Kansas City sees steep uptick since start of August
While the rate of new cases in the Kansas City metropolitan area has slowed slightly in the past week, the rate of deaths has been on the rise.
The metro recorded 58 more COVID-19 deaths in the past week. The previous week had 32 and the week before that, it was 19. The daily average is about eight. At the beginning of the month, it was about three.
On Friday, the area encompassing Kansas City and Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas gained 784 new cases for a total of 170,271 to date.
Over the past week, the metro added 4,932 more cases. Last week, the area added 5,000 new cases.
The seven-day rolling average for new cases sits at 705, according to data tracked by The Star. One week ago, the average was 714 and two weeks ago, it was 542.
Forty-five patients were hospitalized for the virus at The University of Kansas Health System, down from 47 on Thursday. Of those, 17 were in the intensive care unit, with 12 on ventilators and one on ECMO, a “last life-saving measure” that helps the lungs work, the health system said.
Physicians at the health care system continued to urge people to get vaccinated.
“These vaccines are safe, they are very efficacious,” said Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. “They will help protect you and your family.”
On Friday, Kansas reported 347,928 total cases including 5,385 deaths. The monthly positive test rate was 10.4%.
The state has administered 2,630,196 vaccine doses with 43.3% of the population fully inoculated.
Missouri identified 597,903 total cases including 10,007 deaths. The seven-day positive test rate was 14.5%.
The state has administered 5,502,787 vaccine doses, with 42.8% of its residents fully vaccinated.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 50.4% of the national population is fully vaccinated.
Across the country, more than 36.3 million people have contracted COVID-19 and 619,250 have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Friday.
This story was originally published August 13, 2021 at 3:19 PM.
