KANSAS CITY, Mo. — 41 Action News is offering a daily recap of COVID-19 related stories from across Kansas City and the country. Check back every morning for the latest developments.
LATEST: COVID-19 case tracker for Missouri, Kansas and Kansas City
University of Kansas Health System daily update
The University of Kansas Health System had to once again open up a second COVID-19 unit to treat patients. There are 17 patients with active infections and 14 in recovery, with nine of those patients in the ICU and three on ventilators.
Doctors said the numbers are creeping upward, and almost all of the patients are unvaccinated.
The doctors also talked about how vaccines and COVID-19 affect pregnant women and pregnancies.
Local families still navigating COVID-19 challenges
41 Action News talked to the Coffey family early on in the pandemic about navigating online learning. A quick check-in revealed the pandemic is still hard to navigate - with death, illness and injury throwing in extra hurdles.
Kansas City-area child care centers express optimism about Biden's American Families Plan
President Biden announced the American Families Plan on Wednesday, a $1.8-trillion plan to invest in childhood education through an extensive list of social programs to help families of all income levels.
Kansas City child care facilities are optimistic about the change, citing issues with pay and the fact that a solid early childhood education can keep someone on the right track in the future.
Doctors worry it's too soon to ease certain restrictions
While COVID-19 cases are decreasing nationally, doctors in the Kansas City area worry about loosening some restrictions right now. They cite an increase in area COVID-19 cases and decreasing vaccination rates.
Local counties update health guidelines
Jackson County will continue to require people to wear masks indoors at businesses and other places open to the public under a new public health order announced Thursday. Face masks are no longer required outdoors, though the county still recommends people in group settings wear face masks.
In Platte County, face masks will continue to be required for employees and patrons inside businesses when six feet of separation cannot be maintained, under the new health order issued Thursday. Employees are not required to wear masks when alone in a cubicle, office or while working from home.
The Johnson County Board of Commissioners voted Thursday morning to drop the county's mask requirement and instead move to a mask recommendation and a recommendation of following CDC guidelines. The burden now falls on businesses to decide whether or not to require masks in their facilities.
Shawnee Mission South athletics see increase in COVID-19 cases, quarantines
Shawnee Mission School District spokesman David Smith said Thursday that 200 students have been quarantined and temporarily barred from participating in athletic activities at Shawnee Mission South High School due to positive COVID-19 test results.
Many of those students may still attend school if they are masked, maintain social distance and show no symptoms.
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