OLATHE, Kan. — Coronavirus cases are on the rise in the metro.
Last week, the Kansas City area saw triple-digit increases in COVID-19 cases for three straight days, according to Missouri health department data.
One local hospital doubled its number of COVID-19 patients in the last week.
Then on Thursday, Johnson County, Kansas, reported a positive test from someone partying at the Lake of the Ozarks during Memorial Day weekend.
Dr. Sanmi Areola, director of the Johnson County Health Department, said scenes like that Ozarks party are one reason we’re seeing an increase in positive cases.
It’s a consequence of increased activity, especially where people don’t follow recommended guidelines.
“Of course, places like what happened at the Ozarks, or a protest, or other crowded avenues present really, what’s more like a perfect environment for the spread of this virus,” Areola said.
Doctors at the University of Kansas Hospital said they’re also concerned about an increase in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the past week.
“We were down to 9 or 10 patients. Over the last couple of days, it has gone up,” said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an infectious disease specialist at KU Hospital. “We currently have 18 patients in house. Eight of those patients are requiring critical care services so in the ICU and three of those patients are on vents.”
Other metro hospitals FOX4 talked to are not seeing the same increase, but Areola said this isn’t the time to get complacent.
“The risk is still here,” he said, “even higher than it was a few weeks ago.”
Johnson County is responding with broad testing to quickly locate people who are infected and contain the spread after the Lake of the Ozarks-related positive test. Areola feels like they’re doing a pretty good job right now.
