8:30 a.m. COVID-19 update

KMBC 9 NEWS.OKAY MARTIN.THANK YOU SEVERAL LOCAL SCHOOLDISTRICTS ARE WELCOMING STUDENTSBACK TODAY, KANSAS CITY,MISSOURI IS BARSTOW SCHOOL ANDRIVERSIDE AND JAYHAWK DISTRICTSIN KANSAS ALL OPEN THEIR DOORSTHIS MORNING FOR SCHOOLS THATHAVEN’T STARTED.THERE’S STILL QUITE A BIT OFUNREST OVER PLANS TO GET BACK TOLEARNING SEVERAL PEOPLE SHOWEDUP TO A RALLY OUTSIDE LEE SUMMITDISTRICT HEADQUARTERS LAST NIGHTSAYING THAT THEY WANT THE KIDSBACK IN SCHOOL.THIS IS OUGHTN’T IF EQUATION,OKAY, THIS IS AN ETHICALQUESTION.CLAY IS IN THE DISTRICT STARTDAY AFTER LABOR DAY, SEPTEMBER8TH RIGHT NOW PLAN IS TO HOLDVIRTUAL CLASSES FOR ALL GRADESUNTIL JACKSON COUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENT SAYS, IT’S SAFE FORIN-PERSON CLASSES SOME PARENTSAND STUDENTS DON’T AGREE WITHTHE PLAN TO HOLD OFF ONCLASSROOM LEARNING.I ALSO NEED THAT TEACHER-STUDENTCONNECTION.IT DOESN’T REALLY HELP LIKE THATSCHOOL IS NOT OPENING UP SOMEPLACES THAT AREN’T EVENESSENTIAL ARE OPENING OPENING UPOTHER IN SCHOOLS NOT IN ASTATEMENT A DISTRICTSPOKESPERSON RIGHTS IN PART.WE WANT TO BE AT SCHOOL INPERSON.WE’RE ALSO COMMITTED TO OUR DUTYTO KEEP STUDENTS AND STAFF SAFEAND HEALTHY TO OUR GREATESTABILITY DISTRICT HOPES TO MAKE AFINAL DECISION BY TUESDAY.WE WILL OF COURSE.KEEP YOU POSTED HEALTH OFFICIALSIN CLAY COUNTY.MEANWHILE HAVE NEW GUIDANCE FORDISTRICTS WHEN IT COMES TO FALLSPORTS THAT INCLUDES ARECOMMENDATION TO MOVE THEM TOTHE SPRING ANOTHER OPTION WOULDREQUIRE VIRTUAL LEARNINGOR ALLSTUDENT ATHLETES PLAYING CONTACTSPORTS, AND THEN JUST MOVINGFORWARD WITH FALL SPORTS ASSCHEDULED BECAUSE OF THEPRECAUTIONS IN PLACE, MAN.OF THE SMITHFIELD SCHOOL BOARDSAY THEY’LL WAIT A FEW MOREWEEKS BEFORE THEY MAKE ADECISION AND WHEN IT COMES TOSCHOOLS REOPENING THERE’S A LOTOF DECISIONS BEING MADE RIGHTNOW A LOT OF INFORMATIONCHANGING BY THE DAY.WE JUST WANT TO HELP YOU SORTTHROUGH IT ALL WE’RE COVERINGTHE LATEST PLANS ANDRECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCHOOLS INOUR AREA ON AIR AND ONLINE ATKMBC.COM AS BUSINESSES CONTINUETO REOPEN WE ARE KEEPING A CLOSEEYE ON CORONAVIRUS CASE NUMBERSIN OUR TWO STATES KANSAS HASREPORTED 723 CASES BETWEENMONDAY AND WEDNESDAY, MISSOURIREPORTS OF MORE THAN 1,200 NEWCASES.JUST YESTERDAY POSITIVITY RATEIS STILL ABOVE 10 PERCENT INBOTH STAS NOW 10.6 IN MISSOURI13.4 IN KANSAS, AND YOU LOO ATTHE GREEN LINE HERE ON THEBOTTOM.THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS MUCHLOWER AT SIX AND A HALF PERCENTTHIS MORNING QUESTIONS ARESWIRLING ABOUT A BIG YOUTHWRESTLING TOURNAMENT SCHEDULEDTO TAKE PLACE THIS WEEKEND AT HITHE ARENA OVER IN THE WESTBOTTOMS KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI ISHEALTH DIRECTOR TELLS US HEORDER IT TO SHUT DOWN.SAFETY MEASURES AREN’T PROPERLYFOLLOWED ROCKY MOUNTAINNATIONALS KICK OFF TOMORROW WITHSOME 2,500 STUDENT WRESTLERSFROM 40 STATES HEADED TO THEARENA.DR. REX ARCHER SAYS, THEY WILLBE A 2500 PERSON SPECTATOR LIMITTHEIR HAND WIPES AND SANITIZERAT EVERY MATT TABLE AND FACEMASK REQUIREMENTS FOR EVERYONE.IF WE DO WHAT WE KNOW NOW WHEN.THIS THING WAS SCHEDULED.WE PROBABLY WOULDN’T BE HAVING%IT AT ALL.BUT THESE THINGS GET PLANNEDMONTHS IN ADVANCE.WELL, THE TOURNAMENT ISTECHNICALLY ALLOWED UNDER THEMAYOR’S ORDER.THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ISOFFICIALLY ADVISING AGAINST IT.MEANWHILE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ISALSO OFFERING FREE COVID-19TESTING TODAY AT SOUTHEAST HIGHSCHOOL ON EAST MEYER.IT GOES FROM 9:00 TO 2:00 ORUNTIL SUPPLIES RUN OUT FIRSTCOME FIRST SERVE.THIS IS FOR ANYBODY WHO LIVES IN