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
Doctors at the University of Kansas Health System said they continue to see steady patient numbers. Overall, they have treated fewer and fewer COVID-19 patients over the last two weeks and have been encouraged by the decrease.
Tuesday, 78 total COVID-19 patients were in the hospital. Of those, 29 were being treated for acute infections, 11 of whom are in the intensive care unit and five of whom are on ventilators. Forty-nine patients are in recovery phases of the virus.
Dr. Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, joined the doctors to provide an update on the state's vaccine distribution and the U.K. variant of the virus that has made its way to Kansas.
University of Kansas Health System front line workers attend Super Bowl
A few University of Kansas Health System health care workers who have been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kansas City were in attendance at Super Bowl LV.
Even though their hometown team lost, they still called it the trip of a lifetime.
"I was so humbled to be asked," one nurse said. "I know there are so many health care workers who have done so much in this pandemic. The fact that the University of Kansas Health System chose me to represent them was just amazing to me."
Kansas City region receives 15,600 COVID-19 vaccine doses from Missouri
Nine hospitals and health care systems in the Kansas City area received more than 15,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine from the state of Missouri last week, Gov. Mike Parson said Monday.
The city's “targeted vaccination teams” are activating to vaccinate as many as 500 Missourians per team, per week.
Missouri launches COVID-19 vaccine navigator
Also Monday, Missouri officially launched its statewide vaccine navigator, which allows residents to complete a form to determine their eligibility.
Once they become eligible under state-determined phases, the user will be able to see mass vaccination information and seek vaccination from their health care provider.
GOP leaders: Kansas' virus emergency might end March 31
Some Republican lawmakers in the Kansas state legislature say they believe the state may not need to be in a state of emergency past the end of March.
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly extended the order to March 31 last month.
The lawmakers, who have plans to propose changes to Kansas' emergency management laws, said they think the state will have a "much better handle" on the pandemic in the next 45 days.
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