WEDNESDAY UPDATES: Audrain County Health Department developing plan to administer 3rd Pfizer vaccine dose
The Audrain County Health Department (ACHD) is monitoring the Food and Drug Administration after it approved the third Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. The health department is beginning to develop clinic plans to administer those third doses.
“We now have the standing orders from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services we were waiting on for the recently approved populations. We are currently developing plans as to how we will proceed with getting those shots to the general public with the guidance that has been given,” ACHD Administrator and CEO Craig Brace said in a press release. “This expansion into the new populations by the FDA and CDC is for the Pfizer vaccine only at this time, and our orders from the state only cover the Pfizer vaccine and these new categories.”
Over the past week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and FDA has recommended the booster shot for the high-risk population, those 65 and old and workers at risk of exposure.
Those residents considered high risk include those suffering from cancer, stroke, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, heart conditions or obesity. Also, women who are pregnant and those who smoke are also considered high risk.
Currently, no physician’s order is needed for the third dose shot and residents are asked to self-attest they qualify for the third dose shot.
“We are continuing to offer third dose shots of Moderna to the severely immunocompromised as well,” he said.
Boone County coronavirus information hub to be updated Thursday morning
The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services information hub was not updated Wednesday.
The information hub will be updated Thursday morning
Boone County ranks eleventh in the state with the most coronavirus cases in total volume in the past week. Cases are down 28.9% on the week. The county has a 6.5% positive test rate, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
The Missouri coronavirus vaccine dashboard reports that 101,957 residents have received their first dose in Boone County and 92,174 Boone County residents have completed their vaccine doses. Boone County has the third-largest percentage of county residents in Missouri that have received at least one dose of the vaccine with 56.5%. The largest county in the state is St. Louis County with 58.4%.
Boone County is third in the state with a reported 51.1% of residents that have completed their coronavirus vaccine doses. St. Louis County is the first county in the state with 52.3% of residents have completed the doses for vaccination. The city of Joplin has 55.4% of the population fully vaccinated.
Cole County has the second-highest first vaccination rate in Mid-Missouri with 49.8%. Callaway County is third with 45%.
The Columbia Public Schools reports active coronavirus and quarantine cases to their website daily.
The district reported a 28.5 14-day rate per 10,000 for Sunday.
CPS reports two district facilities (one elementary school and one high school) currently have staff out because of COVID-19. There is one staff at elementary and one staff at the high school level that has tested positive for the coronavirus. The district has one elementary staff member, one high school staff member and one staff member at a district-wide facility currently quarantined because of COVID.
The district reports 29 district facilities to have students currently out due to the coronavirus. There are 17 out of 21 elementary, six out of seven middle schools and three out of four high schools and three districtwide facilities affected.
There are 34 students that have tested positive for COVID-19, an increase of two cases from Tuesday. The district is reporting 19 students in elementary, five students in middle school and 10 students in high school have tested positive for the coronavirus.
There are 198 students, which are required to quarantine due to the coronavirus, an increase of 22 students from Tuesday. The district reports 141 elementary students are currently quarantining, 26 students in middle school, 31 students in high school and two at other district facilities.
Cole County nears 50% of residents to get first dose of coronavirus vaccine
The Cole County Health Department reported 18 new coronavirus cases from over the weekend.
According to the dashboard update, there are 10,916 residential cases and 284 long-term care facility resident cases. That is 11,200 total cases in the county.
Cole County has reported 161 coronavirus deaths.
Cole County ranks 41st in the state for counties with the most coronavirus cases per capita in the past week. Cases are down 2.7% comparing last week to the prior week. The county has an 8.6% positive test rate, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
The Missouri coronavirus vaccine dashboard reports about 49.8% of the county have initiated their first dose of the vaccine and 45.5% of the county's population have been fully vaccinated.
The Jefferson City School District reported no new coronavirus cases in students and one new case in a staff member.
The district is reporting seven active cases in students and one active case in a staff member.
The district is reporting 10 close contacts for students and one close contact for staff.
Missouri adds more than 2,100 new cases of COVID-19
Missouri added more than 2,100 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday.
According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, 1,385 people tested positive through the use of PCR testing. That's above the state's daily average of 1,188 cases for that testing method.
At least 675,349 patients have tested positive for COVID-19 through PCR testing.
Antigen testing found another 755 new coronavirus cases. The statewide total for antigen testing increased to 142,525 positive tests.
Missouri's seven-day positivity rate fell Wednesday from 9.1% on Tuesday to 8.9%.
The state health department reported 12 new coronavirus virus-related deaths. There have been 11,485 virus-related deaths in Missouri since the pandemic started.
Data from the state health department showed 1,550 hospitalizations for COVID-19. Hospitals reported 294 of those patients are on ventilators.
