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Kansas City COVID-19 Daily Briefing for Oct. 27

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Posted at 10:27 AM, Oct 27, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-27 11:27:16-04

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 admits 1,000th COVID-19 patient

The University of Kansas Health System said Tuesday it has admitted its 1,000th COVID-19 patient since the beginning of the pandemic in March. On Tuesday morning, the hospital had 36 active virus patients, including 14 in the ICU and eight on a ventilator. The hospital also has 41 patients now in recovery.

Doctors at the health system said Tuesday that deaths in the area are increasing, and they expressed concerns that people have become wary of continuing with precautions to stem the spread of the virus.

“The problem is folks get a false sense of security,” said Dr. Steven Stites, chief medical officer with the hospital. “And they're not really practicing the pillars of infection control … That’s what's going to keep us safe.”

Safety tips for Halloween

Though trick-or-treating is considered a high-risk activity this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared some tips for making it safer, including wearing a mask, handing out treats outdoors or setting up a station with individually bagged treats for kids to grab. Some families say they will find different ways to celebrate at home this year.

Jackson County warn of exposure at 3 churches

The Jackson County Health Department warned Monday that people who attended services or programs at three area churches may have been exposed to COVID-19.

The health department identified those churches as:

  • Connection Point Church in Raytown between Oct. 5-13.
  • Connection Point Church in Lee’s Summit between Oct. 5-13.
  • Small prayer groups and youth group at Lifegate Church in Independence between Oct. 7-21.

Younger KCPS students won't return in November

Pre-K through third grade students in Kansas City, Missouri, Public Schoolswill not be transitioning to an in-person hybrid learning model on Nov. 9. The district had hoped for younger students to return to class on a part-time basis but said Monday that it would hold off on that transition for now, citing a positivity rate over 10%.

Kansas to receive thousands of antigen tests

Kansas will receive 870,000 COVID-19 antigen tests from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for essential workers.

Distribution of the tests will be prioritized for students, teachers, nursing home patients and staff, higher education, critical infrastructure and first responders, according to a news release from Gov. Laura Kelly's office.

KU to allow limited fans at basketball games

The University of Kansas said Monday that it will allow 1,500 fans at Allen Fieldhouse for men's basketball games this season. The number represents about 9% of the total arena capacity.

Local doctor says drug needs more testing

A drug that was used to treat President Donald Trump in his battle with COVID-19 needs more testing to determine its long-term effectiveness, according to a Saint Luke's Health System doctor.

"That initial trial looked really at improvement in symptoms, and symptoms seemed to be better with (the) remdesivir group," said Dr. Sarah Boyd, who specializes in infectious diseases. "The 28-day mortality, or who died from COVID-19, really didn't change with that initial trial."

The FDA has approved remdesivir to treat some COVID-19 patients.

Find more coronavirus news and resources from 41 Action News here.