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 were “pleased” with COVID-19 patient numbers Tuesday and continued to express optimism at the outlook.
They are caring for 115 total COVID-19 patients as of Tuesday morning. Sixty-four of those are suffering from an acute infection, and 23 are in the intensive care unit.
Thirteen patients are on ventilators while another 51 are in recovery phases.
Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman was a guest on Tuesday’s program and said the state is catching up in its vaccine distribution reporting.
Previously, delays in vaccine providers’ reporting made it appear Kansas had the slowest distribution rate in the nation.
“The data is catching up,” Norman said. “We blew by 30 states just since last Friday to be on the top tier.”
41 Action News COVID-19 tracker
There have been more than 700,000 confirmed cases across Kansas and Missouri, according to 41 Action News data analysis.
In the Kansas City area, more than 2,900 cases were added over the weekend.
Missouri added almost 7,300 cases in the same time period.
Kansas is expected to top 250,000 cases Wednesday.
Kansas lawmakers review state's lagging vaccine distribution
Despite the fact that COVID-19 vaccine providers catching up on reporting, Kansas legislators plan to meet Tuesday to discuss what GOP leaders say has been a rocky rollout.
Wyandotte County prepares to fight COVID-19 in 2021
Area municipalities are formulating their COVID-19 plan of attack for 2021, including in Wyandotte County, where around 40% of COVID-19 tests return a positive result.
Vaccine distribution unclear as supplies dwindle in some areas
Some Kansas City-area residents are concerned over confusion on when they will actually be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine, especially as supplies run low in some areas.
In Johnson County, Kansas, for example, 20,000 front line workers have yet to be vaccinated and the county reportedly used its last doses Monday.
Health officials said the county obtained 2,000 more doses by Tuesday, with 3,900 more expected to come from KDHE Thursday.
Overland Park mental health expert offers tips for students struggling with remote learning
Virtual learning is taking a toll on students — on their mental health and in the grade books.
A local mental health expert offered tips for students struggling with Zoom fatigue.
Jackson County amended order suspends evictions through Jan. 24
Evictions in Jackson County, Missouri, are halted through at least Jan. 24.
The 16th Circuit Court judge noted "the risks court personnel face in simply carrying out their duties," in his decision.
KDOL warns of text message phishing scam
Amid increased unemployment during the pandemic, the Kansas Department of Labor is warning claimants against a new phishing scam appearing in text messages.
K-State basketball postpones Iowa State game amid COVID-19 outbreak
The Kansas State University men's basketball program was "unable to meet the required COVID-19 thresholds on Monday," meaning its game against Iowa State must be postponed to a later date.
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