Kansas City COVID 'Delta Dawn' Worsens

Special thanks to TOP ECHELON TKC READERS who give us a frame of reference for this new phase of the pandemic. 

Here's our song of the day and a musical touchstone for the delta variant from an iconic lady crooner . . .

And this inspires our www.TonysKansasCity.com glimpse at plague links that start with local and then move to the big picture . . .

Vaccinated And Confused In Kansas City? How To Decide Whether An Activity Is Safe

In Kansas and Missouri, COVID-19 cases are back up to levels not seen since last winter. Hospitals around the metro are and understaffed . Meanwhile, vaccination rates are still lower than the national average of 51%, with only 44% of Missourians and fully vaccinated.

Kansas City Councilwoman talks about losing her mother to COVID-19

When the Kansas City, Missouri, City Council voted Thursday to extend the city's indoor mask mandate another month, the action drew several heated responses from the public this week, including emotional testimony from a councilmember who lost her mother to COVID-19.Speaking before the City Council, Councilwoman Andrea Bough shared one of her final memories of her mother.

Missouri representative's husband dies after battle with COVID-19

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (KCTV/AP) -- A Missouri state lawmaker who is running for Congress has announced that her husband has died after the couple was diagnosed with COVID-19. Republican State Rep. Sara Walsh, of Ashland, thanked everyone who had prayed for her husband, Steve Walsh, in announcing Thursday in a tweet that he had died.

COVID-19 pandemic giving local healthcare workers 'battle fatigue'

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - The state of the COVID-19 pandemic is frustrating doctors in the Kansas City metro area who say the pandemic could have ended if more people received their vaccine. "Our teams are getting battle fatigued, they and I are both exhausted," said Dr. Andrew Schlachter, Saint Luke's internal medicine, pulmonary and critical care physician.

'Nothing like I've ever seen': Hospital forced to turn down 70% of requests for help

by: Heidi Schmidt Posted: / Updated: KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Hospitals are stretched thin with exhausted staff trying to manage a growing number of patients. The majority of people hospitalized in Kansas City are there for reasons other than COVID-19, but there are still hundreds of people hospitalized with the virus.

KC metro hospitals seeing extremely high demand

WYANDOTTE COUNTY, KS (KCTV) -- The number of COVID hospitalizations is close to a record high. Right now, the seven-day rolling average of new hospitalizations is 167. That's just 25 patients away from tying the record we set in December. KC metro hospitals have seen a very high demand.

Mission adopts new masking requirements inside city buildings

After a loud night of storms, we're much quieter this morning. Cloudy skies this morning will give way to sunshine by the afternoon with a refreshing, northerly breeze. Get outside and enjoy today because this cooler air mass won't be here for very long.

Ray-Pec School Board approves mask requirement for all students

Hide Transcript Show Transcript MUST BE TESTED WEEKLY FOR THE VIRUS NEW TONIGHT THE RAPE PECK SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES A MASK. ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL STUDENTS THEY HAVE TO WEAR MASKS INDOORSMAN'S PHYSICAL DISTANCING JUSTS A POSSIBLE.

KCK Public Schools says 82 students, staff have tested positive for COVID-19

As classes begin in Wyandotte County, many are sick. In nine days, 82 students and staff in Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools have tested positive for COVID-19. There are 220 who are now quarantined."We are dealing with the delta variant. People who are vaccinated, some are getting sick.

Covid-sniffing dog will put skills to use at network of metro assisted living centers

OLATHE, Kan. - Man's best friend is taking on a serious job at a network of assisted living centers in the metro. Ivory, a nearly 2-year-old Golden Retriever, will use her special training to sniff out COVID among residents to prevent spread of the virus.

Do Delta 'breakthroughs' really mean vaccine protection is waning, and are boosters the answer?

Even as the United States made the controversial announcement this week that it would begin to offer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots in September, scientists and public officials were scrambling to assess the rationale officials offered: that the vaccines' protection against the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 is waning.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb says vaccinated people cannot 'throw caution to the wind' due to delta variant

Dr. Scott Gottlieb on Friday urged fellow vaccinated Americans to be on guard about the Covid delta variant, telling CNBC its highly transmissible nature cannot be ignored even by people who have immunity protection. "The original premise around the vaccines - that they reduce the risk of serious disease and hospitalization - is still intact," the former Food and Drug Administration commissioner said on "Squawk Box."

What to know about COVID-19, the Delta variant and vaccines as fall approaches

Answers to some of the frequently asked questions about the virus, breakthrough infections and booster shots.

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