Missouri local elections postponed; Virus count up to 17

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday ordered all local elections scheduled for April 7 to be postponed until June 2 as the number of recorded cases of coronavirus in the state hit 17.

Parson's executive order allows already printed ballots to be used for the rescheduled elections. Residents who turn 18 by April 7 will be allowed to vote.

Also on Wednesday, Children's Mercy hospital announced in a tweet that a patient treated in the downtown Kansas City hospital's emergency room on Sunday had tested positive for the virus and would be self-quarantined at home, which brings the state's total cases to 17.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.

Jackson County health officials late Tuesday announced the 16th case of coronavirus, a man in his 40s who recently traveled abroad.

The man is doing well and is in isolation at his home, while his family is in quarantine, according to Jackson County health officials. It was the second case in the county that includes Kansas City.

Missouri health officials have reported cases of COVID-19 in Boone, Cass, Cole, Greene, Henry, Jackson and St. Louis counties, as well as one case in the city of St. Louis.

In a statement to The Kansas City Star, Cerner spokeswoman Misti Preston said the company asked anyone who had contact with the individual to self quarantine and closed its sprawling campus in south Kansas City for deep cleaning.

Cerner, a health care technology company, has 14,000 employees on campuses in the Kansas City region.

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