4 p.m. COVID-19 update

4 p.m. COVID-19 update

ON KELLY ECKERMAN AFTER-SCHOOLACTIVITIES IN JOHNSON COUNTY ARENOW TAKING CENTER STAGE SOMEPARENTS WHO WANT TO SEE THEIRSTUDENTS PARTICIPATE ARE MAKINGTHEIR VOICES HEARD KMBC 9S.KELLY GIVES US LIVE NOW INJOHNSON COUNTY COUNTY WITH THELATEST KELLY.KELLY I’M TOLD THAT THE JOHNSONCOUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL BEMAKING A RECOMMENDATION TODISTRICT SCHOOL LEADERSTOMORROW, BUT DESPITE THOSERECOMMENDATIONS SOME PARENTS SAYTHEY WANT THEIR STUDENTS TOPARTICIPATE.ALL WE’RE REALLY ASKING FOR ISTHAT WE BEGIN V’N A CHOICEDANITA BEERS IS JUST ONE OF MANYPARENTS IN JOHNSON COUNTY.WHO SAYS SHE WANTS TO SEE HERSTUDENT ENGAGE INEXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES INTHE FALL.WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT THEWHOLE CHILD.NOT JUST THE COVID-19 SIDE OFIT, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO BELOOKING AT THE MENTALITY OR THEMENTAL SIDE OF THIS OUTBREAK ASWELL.THE JOHNSON COUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENT HAS OUTLINEDRECOMMENDATIONS TO ENSURE THOSETHE RACE BEGINS SAFELY BASED ONTHOSE GUIDELINES AND ALL CLEARTO PARTICIPATE WOULD MEAN THECOUNTY HAS SEEN COVID-19 CASESHOLDS STEADY OR DECLINE WITHTEST POSITIVITY RATES AT OR LESSTHAN 5% RIGHT NOW.THE COUNTY IS SITTING AT A 7%POSITIVITY RATE.WE CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE THROUGHEMAILING AND VOICING THEIROPINIONS TO THE SCHOOL BOARD THEBOARD OF COMMISSIONERS.WE’RE ALSO REACHING OUT TO THETHE JOHNSON COUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENT ASKING ANY QUESTIONS,THERE ARE NUMEROUS EXAMPLES OFSPORTS BEING PLAYED SAFELY INEVEN IN JOHNSON COUNTY AND IT’SBEING DONE SAFELY WITH NO CASES.SO WE THINK IT CAN BE DONE IN INTHE SCHOOLS AS WELL.AND AGAIN, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENTIS SET TO MAKE THOSERECOMMENDATIONS TO DISTRICTLEADERS TOMORROW REPORTING LIVEIN JOHNSON COUNTY KELLY GIBBSKMBC 9 NEWS THERE’S NO WORD YETON WHEN A FINAL DECISION BYSCHOOL LEADERS WILL BE MADEKANSAS IS REPORTING MORE THANMORE THAN 1,200 NEW CORONAVIRUSCASES SINCE FRIDAY, MISSOURI ISREPORTING MORE THAN 1,100 SINCESUNDAY.WE JUST LEARNED TODAY MORE THANTWENTY ONE PERCENT OF ALL CASESIN MISSOURI HAVE BEEN PATIENTSIN THEIR 20S.THAT’S ACCORDING TO THE STATEHEALTH DEPARTMENT.NOW, LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THESEVEN DAY MOVING AVERAGE OF THEPOSITIVITY RATE.IT’S ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TOTRACK THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS.KANSAS IS UP A BIT TO 12.5%MISSOURI IS HANGING.AT 10.9% THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS6.7% MAYOR QUINTON LUCAS ISWARNING PEOPLE IN KANSAS CITY TOWEAR MASKS OR BARS ANDRESTAURANTS COULD BE SHUT DOWNAGAIN MAYOR LUCAS SAYS HEOBSERVED SEVERAL ESTABLISHMENTSLAST NIGHT AND KMBC 9S.BRIAN JOHNSON REPORTS NOT ALL OFTHEM ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITHPANDEMIC SAFETY REQUIREMENTSPLACES LIKE KELLY’S IN WESTPORTARE AMONG THE BARS MAYOR QUINTONLUCAS IS PRAISING TODAY AFTERDOING A WALK OF OUT SUNDAYNIGHT.HE SAYS MANY ARE WORKING HARD TOKEEP PEOPLE SAFE FROM COVID-19.THERE WERE A LOT OF BRIGHTSPOTS, BUT THERE WERE ALSO SOMENOT SO BRIGHT SPOT.THERE ARE SOME WHERE IT LOOKEDLIKE THEY WERE PARTYING LIKEIT’S 2019 SOME VIDEOS LIKE THISONE ON SOCIAL MEDIA SHOW FEWMASKS AND LITTLE DISTANCEBETWEEN GROUPS.WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP FROMGETTING IN A POSITION WHERE WEHAVE TO BE LIKE, FLORIDA ORTEXAS OR ARIZONA AND SHUT DOWNBARS SHUT DOWN RESTAURANTS ANYOF THOSE SORTS OF THINGS THEKANSAS CITY HEALTH DIRECTOR SAYSCASES INCREASE WE MIGHT BECLOSER TO CLOSING BARS, BUT ITCAN BE AVOIDED.YEAH, 95% OF FOLKS ARE WEARINGMASS AND WE’RE DOING WHAT WE’REWE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.THAT WE CAN AVOID THAT PERHAPS ABIGGER CONCERN LARGE PRIVATEPARTIES LIKE THIS ONE INLAKEWOOD LAST MONTH THATRESULTED IN DOZENS OF TEENSGETTING TESTS WITH SEVERALCONFIRMED CASES OF COVID-19.WE’RE NOT HERE TO BEOVERWHELMINGLY PUNITIVE.WE JUST WANT PEOPLE FOLLOWINGTHE RULES BECAUSE WE WANT PEOPLESAFE.I WANT TO SEE THE CITY OPEN ASMUCH AS ANYBODY ELSE.BRIAN JOHNSON KMBC 9 NEWS THEHEALTH DIRECTOR SAYS, KANSASCITY’S MASK MANDATE WAS EXTENDEDTO JANUARY BECAUSE OF HOW PEOPLEHAVE BEEN HANDLING THE OUTBREAK.HE SAYS, IT’S CLEAR NOW, WE WILLSEE CASES FOR THE NEXT SIXMONTHS HEALTH OFFICIALS INWYANDOTTE COUNTY ALSO NEED YOURHELP TO CURB THE SPREAD OFCOVID-19 TODAY.THEY JOIN DOCTORS WITH THEUNIVERSITY OF KANSAS HEALTHSYSTEM TO DISCUSS THE HIGH RATEOF CASES.THEY’RE SEEING IN THE COUNTYRIGHT NOW HEALTH OFFICIALS SAYTHEY’RE SEEING AN UPTICK IN THEPERCENT OF TEST COMING BACKPOSITIVE.THE POSITIVITY RATE IS NOW AT19% IN WYANDOTTE COUNTY, WHICHTHEY SAY IS CONCERNINGESPECIALLY AS THE NUMBER NUMBEROF NEWLY REPORTED CASES DROPS.ONE OF THE THINGS WE WONDERABOUT IS, YOU KNOW ARE JUST AREFEWER PEOPLE COMING IN TO GETTESTED AT THIS POINT AND THATREALLY IS CONCERNING TO US.SO IF I CAN SEND ONE MESSAGE,IT’S THAT YOU KNOW, IF YOU AREFEELING SYMPTOMS OF COVID OR IFYOU HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITHSOMEBODY WHO YOU KNOW ISPOSITIVE COME GET TESTED.HEALTH OFFICIALS STRESS TESTINGIS AVAILABLE IN WYANDOTTE COUNTYWITH A FAIRLY QUICK.ON TIME FOR MORE I