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 is treating 14 patients with active COVID-19 infections. Of those, three are in the ICU and two on ventilators. Another 23 patients are in recovery phases of the virus.
Monday marks one year since the health system received its first COVID-19 patient. Doctors shared how their lives have changed since that day and what they've learned during the morning news briefing.
KU Hospital officials were joined by Cooperating School District of Greater Kansas City Executive Director Dr. Kenny Southwick and Children's Mercy Hospital Pediatric Emergency Medicine Dr. Jennifer Watts.
The group talked about challenges vaccinating teachers and virus variant surveillance among teachers.
COVID testing numbers down across Kansas City metro
COVID-19 testing numbers are on the decline across the Kansas City region, which is good but also presents a challenge. It means fewer people are ill and need testing, but it also makes it harder for officials to track variants, contact trace and judge the status of public health guidelines.
Johnson County declares March 7-13 Heroes Week
This week marks one year since Kansas began fighting COVID-19, so Johnson County declared the week "Heroes Week" in honor of everyone who has been on the front lines of the battle against the virus.
Gov. Laura Kelly also declared Sunday, March 7, as COVID-19 Memorial Day, since it was the one-year anniversary of the first case in the state. She made the announcement in remembrance of all who died from the virus.
Local COVID-19 'long hauler' talks about receiving vaccine, its effects
A local woman who has been battling side effects of the COVID-19 virus for several months shared that she actually feels better after receiving the vaccine, though doctors are not sure there is actually any correlation.
Missouri to allocate more COVID-19 vaccines to pharmacies
Since more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are becoming available and more Missourians are becoming eligible to receive it, Gov. Parson announced that pharmacies will now receive prioritized shipments of the vaccine.
Senate passes $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan after debating through the night
Over the weekend, the U.S. Senate passed a $1.9 trillion relief package, which includes another round of stimulus checks, continued unemployment benefits, and money for schools and communities. The bill will now go back to the House to vote on Senate changes before it can be signed by President Joe Biden.
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