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
Highest number of COVID-19 patients to start a day at University of Kansas Health System
Doctors at the University of Kansas Health System said the hospital had 40 active COVID-19 patients on Thursday, the highest number at the start of a day since the beginning of the pandemic.
The intensive care unit overflowed into another ICU, with 18 total patients in the units, six of whom are on ventilators.
The doctors also answered questions about celebrating Halloween during their daily update Thursday.
There are ways to make trick-or-treating safe, the doctors said, such as knowing who is in your “bubble,” or unit, as costumed candy-seekers make the rounds.
Wearing a mask and staying socially distanced from those not in your group or when at someone’s door is also important.
Kansas tops 1,000 COVID-19 deaths
More than 1,000 Kansans have died from COVID-19, Gov. Laura Kelly said Wednesday.
She ordered flags to fly at half-staff in remembrance of those lost during the pandemic.
Woman widowed by COVID-19 shares her story
A Lenexa woman who lost her husband to COVID-19 shared her story with 41 Action News as Kansas hit the new milestone.
Joanna Wilson urges people "to wear a mask, social distance and be smart in gatherings."
"Grief is tough," Wilson said. "It's hard, and then it hits you any time of the day, and every day it hits you. You don't go a day without it. I think of him every minute of every day."
Some Johnson County parents unhappy with JCDHE's winter athletics guidance
Earlier this week, the Johnson County, Kansas, Department of Health and Environment issued guidance discouraging indoor winter high school sports.
Some parents told 41 Action News the county needs "to be thinking about the well-being of our kids," and sports should continue.
"At the end of the day, it's a recommendation," one father said. "I think it's a recommendation made by a bunch of academics who got lost in the now versus looking over the trend."
Lee's Summit North latest school to cancel football season
Lee Summit North High School's football season ended prematurely Wednesday.
The school announced its season is finished after a team member tested positive for COVID-19.
Rockhurst took similar action Tuesday when a player received positive test results.
Both teams were set to compete in the playoffs.
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