Federal surge teams forming this week to help mitigation efforts in Missouri

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has accepted assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address the spread of COVID-19. Formation of the surge teams will begin this week.

The CDC and their associated foundation offered to recruit and hire surge teams consisting of public health professionals to assist Missouri in mitigation efforts as cases and positivity rates continue to rise in the state. 

According to the most recent update from the state, Missouri's positivity rate is now sitting at 10.3% for the first time since Jan. 18.

Right now, Missouri also has the highest proportion of the delta variant in the U.S.

Health officials have warned that the delta variant is causing more serious illness and hospitalizations among those who have not been vaccinated.

DHSS said the Delta variant is 60% more transmissible than the Alpha variant that was first discovered in the U.K.

The surge teams will conduct testing, distribute medicines designed to fight the virus, and boost local and state efforts to increase vaccinations.

According to the state's vaccine dashboard, 44.7% of Missourians have initiated vaccination and 39.3% are fully vaccinated.