FRIDAY UPDATES: Truman VA hosting two events over Presidents’ Day weekend

The Truman VA is hosting a walk-in coronavirus vaccine clinic in Columbia and Jefferson City over Presidents' Day weekend.

On Saturday, the Truman VA will be at the Jefferson City Community-Based Outpatient Clinic hosting the clinic for veterans from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Enrolled eligible Veterans who meet current criteria do not need an appointment to receive a COVID-19 vaccine during the event. However, the number of available vaccine doses will be limited, and Veterans are encouraged to call (573) 635-0233 to reserve a time in advance.

On Monday, Truman VA will host the walk-in clinic at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Due to a limit supply of the vaccine doses veterans are encouraged to call 573-814-6000, extension 54300, to reserve a time in advance.

Vaccinations will be administered until the clinic’s available supply is exhausted on both days.

Enrolled eligible Veterans who may be vaccinated include those who are 55 and older; eligible Veterans of any age who are hemodialysis patients, organ transplant patients, chemotherapy patients and those with spinal cord injuries; and eligible Veterans who are considered frontline essential workers in the 1a, 1b and 1c categories according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Boone County reports lowest positivity rate since week of Sept. 25 through Oct. 1

Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services is reporting 38 new COVID-19 cases.

The dashboard is currently reporting 244 active cases, a 24 case decrease from Thursday.

The county continues to trend down as there has now been 16 straight days of only double-digit case increases. This is the longest number of days of only double-digit increases since Oct. 13.

The county now has a reported total number of COVID-19 cases of 17,119.

The county has reported the total number of cases removed from isolation is 16,802, a 62 case increase from Thursday.

Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services dashboard has reported the latest five-day average as 30.

The dashboard is reporting the positivity rate of 15.1% positivity rate for Feb. 5 through last Thursday. This is the lowest it has been since the week of Sept. 25 through Oct. 1. when it was 12.4.

The health department is reporting the total number of hospitalizations in Boone County is 42.

The number of Boone County residents hospitalized is reported to be 12.

The dashboard is reporting 12 COVID-19 patients in the ICU and 8 patients on ventilators.

The hospital status is currently in 'Green' status. 'Green' status is when hospitals are operating within licensed bed capacity; accepting patient transfers from referring hospitals within standard care operating procedures.

The dashboard also reports that 22,489 have received their first dose.

The county has the fourth-largest percentage of people that have received at least one dose of the vaccine with 12.5%.

Saline County has the largest with 15% of the population have received the first dose of the vaccine. Cole County is second with 13.5% and Montgomery County is third with 12.9%.

Boone Hospital COVID-19 testing site to remain closed

Boone Hospital Center officials said the hospital's COVID-19 testing site will remain closed through the next week.

The hospital had initially closed the testing site this weekend because of cold temperatures. With temperatures expected to remain below the freezing line for days, the site has now been closed until at least Feb. 20.

Patients who still need a test can go to the hospital's lab draw location at the Broadway Medical Plaza.

Missouri administers 800,000 vaccine doses

Missouri state health officials say 801,456 vaccine doses have been administered as of Friday.

The dashboard included that 595,368 Missourians have received their first dose of a vaccine -- which accounts for 9.7% of the state's population. Officials included 206,088 have received two doses of vaccine.

Health officials administered on average more than 21,000 vaccine shots every day over the week ending on Wednesday, according to the dashboard.

The dashboard said the 85+ age range accounts for the highest amount of doses received, 32.1%.

Fewer than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases were added to the dashboard on Friday. The total amount of cases since the pandemic started was up to 470,107 -- 884 more than the day before.

Virus-related deaths went up as well -- 11 more were added to the dashboard since Thursday. The state's pandemic total was up to 7,442.

Missouri's COVID-19 seven-day positivity rate was reported at 7.2% on Friday.

State hospital officials say 1,466 people were hospitalized because of COVID-19 and 328 were in the ICU.