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 update
University of Kansas Health System doctors said Thursday the hospital has 69 active COVID-19 patients admitted, including 21 in the ICU and 10 on ventilators. In addition, 48 patients are in recovery phases.
“We are at that plateau,” said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. “Not a low plateau; not as high a plateau as we have seen, but we’re kind of in that mid-range.”
Doctors were joined Thursday by Wyandotte County officials, who explained the decision to relax restrictions for bars and restaurants and detailed the county’s efforts to vaccinate all health care workers.
Vaccines for KCPS staff could pave way for in-person learning
Kansas City, Missouri, Public Schools said Thursday that all of its employees will have the option to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The district is working to gauge interest among staff and plans to have a schedule developed to administer the vaccine in February.
Superintendent Mark Bedell said the district hopes the vaccine makes it possible for students to return to in-person learning in March.
Restaurant restrictions relaxed in metro
Kansas City, Missouri, and Jackson, Wyandotte and Clay counties announced this week that they will relax restrictions on operating hours for bars and restaurants. Those businesses can now remain open until midnight in those jurisdictions.
In KCMO, Health Department Director Dr. Rex Archer said that while he supports a consistent metro-wide approach to restrictions, he still urges people not to dine indoors. He compared it to jumping out of a second-story window: "(J)ust because it’s legal for you to jump out of that window doesn’t mean it’s a good idea."
What to do if you haven’t received 2nd stimulus check
Though the second round of stimulus check payments has been smoother, some people still have not received theirs. The IRS has until Jan. 15 to send the remaining payments, but if you still don’t receive yours, it may be time to use a tax return to claim the money.
Kansas governor still confident in vaccine rollout
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Wednesday that she remains confident in the vaccine distribution plan in her state, noting that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now ranks Kansas 17th in the nation for its vaccination rate.
Top Republicans in the Kansas Legislature have said they plan to review what they consider a rocky vaccination rollout.
Pregnant KC doctor shares her experience with vaccine
A pregnant Kansas City-area doctor who received a COVID-19 vaccine wants to use her experience to inform other pregnant women. She says she experienced only mild side effects after receiving the vaccine but urged others to do their research and seek guidance from experts.
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