Advertisement

Roo News

The Student News Site of University of Missouri - Kansas City

Roo News

Roo News

Amidst the festive spirit of St. Patricks Day, the iconic symbol of luck, the clover, reminds us of the rich traditions and celebrations honoring Irish heritage.
Exploring St. Patrick's Day Alternatives in Kansas City
Aydan Stigler and Grace Beshore March 14, 2024

  The annual St. Patrick's Day celebration is just around the corner, and with celebration comes large crowds.    The annual city parade...

Visit the City Market to explore local vendors.
Smart Saving Strategies for a Wallet-Friendly Spring Break
Emily Wheeler, Staff Writer • March 14, 2024

  UMKC students are ready for the upcoming week-long spring break, but are their wallets?   From travel adventures to staycations, spring...

Earth Mother by Sheron Smith
Her Art/Their Art Explores the Female Experience in the 21st Century
Elyse Bredfeldt, Staff Writer • March 12, 2024

  Her Art/Their Art is a collection that aims to answer the question: “What does it mean to identify, live, navigate, or be perceived by society...

Nina Simone: Four Women” playbook.
The KC Rep’s “Nina Simone: Four Women” is both timeless and poignant.
Maisy Blanton, Staff Writer • March 5, 2024

  The Kansas City Repertory Theater (KCRep) recently performed “Nina Simone: Four Women.” The show follows musician Nina Simone as she...

Around 1 million people were estimated to be in attendance at the parade.
One Dead, Several Injured During Chiefs Parade
Zach Gunter and Jazlyn Summers February 14, 2024

Update:   As of 2:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon, the number of those injured at the Union Station shooting after the Chiefs Super Bowl parade...

State of Coronavirus in Kansas City Metro

State+of+Coronavirus+in+Kansas+City+Metro

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announced Thursday morning that the city is under a state of emergency for at least 21 days. 

“Protecting all of our residents remains our top priority, which means that how we interact over the weeks and months ahead will need to change dramatically as we confront our current public health challenge,” said Lucas.

The novel coronavirus or COVID-19 reached the frontlines of the Kansas City area last Saturday when a Johnson County woman tested positive for the virus.

The metro area has since experienced its first death related to COVID-19. A Wyandotte County man in his 70s died Wednesday, testing positive for the virus post-mortem.

Since the city’s announcement of a state of emergency, all events with over 1,000 people in Kansas City are canceled. 

The University of Missouri System announced Friday that it has suspended in-person classes for the rest of the spring 2020 semester. All classes will be taught remotely.

UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal stated in a news release the school is working to make the transition as seamless as possible

“Our goal remains to ensure that we continue our teaching and research even as we put in safeguards to protect our faculty, staff, students and visitors,” said Agrawal. “That said, this ever-changing situation will require ongoing planning and vigilance in coming weeks.”

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced a state of emergency after she confirmed Kansas’ first coronavirus death. Governor Mike Parson declared a state of emergency for Missouri this Friday. Both declarations will allow additional state resources and personnel to help with the response to the virus.

President Donald Trump declared a national emergency yesterday, giving access to additional funding. He said $50 billion will be dedicated to fighting the spread of the novel coronavirus.

As of today, there have been eight confirmed cases and one death in Kansas. In Missouri, there have been four confirmed cases, all outside of the Kansas City area. 

[email protected]

View Comments (6)
Donate to Roo News

Your donation will support the student journalists of University of Missouri - Kansas City. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

More to Discover
Donate to Roo News

Comments (6)

All Roo News Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • A

    Andrea M BojorquezMar 21, 2020 at 3:56 am

    My 2 children and I were really sick a little over a month ago with;fevers,weakness,coughs,muscle aches and we went to the ER once the fevers had gone away. The hospital didn’t even want to check us for the flu, instead they prescribed inhalers and sent us home. We still have a mild cough but no other symptoms and sometimes throughout the day we feel shortness of breath. I wish they would have at least checked to see if it was the regular flu or not. If it would have come back negative there may have been her test available to determine what we had. We all felt so much worse than a cold or flu.

    Reply
  • D

    Dasia GravesMar 16, 2020 at 5:29 pm

    I hate the virus and I’m really looking forward to postive changes because I’m going to be a young adult pretty soon

    Reply
  • T

    Todd CannonMar 16, 2020 at 11:55 am

    Why doesn’t Mayor Lucas shut down Westport?

    Reply
  • B

    Brittni SpearsMar 15, 2020 at 3:42 pm

    We are not testing enough. That’s the only reason we don’t have many here and ALL schools should be shut instead of where they “think” it’s circulating. Aggressive actions are the absolute only way to help mitigate this.

    Reply
  • G

    GuyinWaldoMar 15, 2020 at 1:11 pm

    What an absolute joke. If you think there’s really only 5 cases of COVID-19 in Missouri, I’ve got a bridge to sell you. The Federal response has been a disaster. This administration could have had access to tests provided by the WHO months ago. Look it up! Instead, they chose to forgo additional tests because they feared that more confirmed cases would look bad. Well, guess what folks? It’s here and spreading faster than yoga pants in a gentrified neighborhood. Making matters worse, Governor Parsons won’t close the schools because he doesn’t want to take the heat for complicating the lives of families. Voters should remove him next November for dereliction of duty if nothing else. People should stay at home if they’re sick, but they won’t because their employers aren’t going to pay them if they do so this is probably going to ravage our country and a lot of people are going to pay the price for our selfishness. If this is what “Keeping America Great” looks like, count me out. What a sick joke and utter disgrace.

    Reply
  • W

    WayneMar 15, 2020 at 5:25 am

    Was there any people last week at the airport of Kansas airport found to have any symptoms of the virus

    Reply