WEDNESDAY UPDATES: Moniteau County reports 31 coronavirus related death

The Moniteau County Health Center reported one additional COVID-19 related death from March.

Officails say the resident was in their 80's.

A total of 31 coronavirus-related deaths have been recorded in Moniteau County since the first related death on May 15. This is the 12th death this year.

Boone County reports eight coronavirus patients hospitalized; none in ICU

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

There are currently 111 active cases in the county, six more active cases since Tuesday.

The county now has a reported total number of COVID-19 cases of 18,087.

The county has reported the total number of cases removed from isolation is 17,891, a 10 case increase from Tuesday.

The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services dashboard has reported the latest five-day average as 11.

The dashboard is reporting the positivity rate April 2 through last Thursday is 17.6%.

The county continues to trend down as there have been 76 straight days of single or double-digit case increases.

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

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

The dashboard is reporting no COVID-19 patients in the ICU and no patients on a ventilator.

The hospital status remains 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 State of Missouri coronavirus vaccine dashboard is reporting that 70,113 residents have received their first dose in Boone County and 45,284 Boone County residents have completed their vaccine doses.

Boone County has the largest percentage of people in Mid-Missouri that have received at least one dose of the vaccine with 38.9%. Boone County has a reported 25.1% of residents that have completed their coronavirus vaccine doses.

Cole County has the second-highest first vaccination rate in Mid-Missouri with 30.4%. Saline County is third with 30.2%.

13th Circuit Court moves to phase 4

The 13th Circuit Court has moved to phase 4 after presiding Judge J. Hasbrouck Jacobs signed the administrative order.

The court moved to phase 3 on March 18 of this year after just under a month moving to phase 2 in February.

The court will continue to hear matters by video and use technology as appropriate to keep the public safe. Social distancing will be utilized in the building and masks will continue to be provided and required in court.

The major change in Phase 4 is the section on when employees are no longer required to wear masks. The circuit will be using the Phase 4 directives in conjunction with local health department standards and CDC guidelines.

Williams Woods University prepares for in-person graduation; Westminster College looks to in-person classes next fall

William Woods University will hold in-person spring commencement ceremonies for undergraduates on May 1 with graduate school students to follow May 2.

To adhere to local health guidelines, the weekend will include seven ceremonies. The three undergraduate ceremonies will be at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on May 1, and four graduate school ceremonies at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on May 2.

Graduation events will take place inside McNutt Auditorium on campus, where each graduate may invite two guests to attend. Commencement ceremonies will be live-streamed for family and friends unable to attend in person. Attendees will be required to wear face coverings and will be seated in a physically distanced arrangement.

The university’s historic spring Ivy Ceremony will begin festivities on campus on April 30.

“We are beyond pleased to be able to hold our traditional commencement exercises to celebrate our graduates and their families in a safe and physically distanced manner,” said President Barnett. “The determination, discipline and flexibility of our entire campus community have made it possible for us to withstand this year of health and safety challenges; our 2021 commencement ceremonies are a culmination of those extraordinary efforts.”

Westminster College is anticipating in-person classes for the fall semester while taking necessary COVID-19 precautions.

Dr. Kasi Lacey, vice president and dean of student life, says, "I am incredibly proud of our Westminster College students, staff, and faculty in relation to our response to COVID-19. We were able to offer a quality in-person experience, with health and safety at the forefront of our decisions.”

Westminster reports that protocols in place met or exceeded guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which included campus-wide mask-wearing mandates, hand-sanitizing stations throughout all buildings, and Plexiglass shields at high-traffic workstations, among other measures.

Officials say the College has not determined yet if virtual or hybrid options will be available for Fall Semester 2021, but the technology will remain in place in case a pivot to alternative teaching methods becomes necessary.

In preparing for the fall semester, the College recommends everyone on campus receive the COVID-19 vaccine, which Westminster offered exclusively to students, faculty, and staff on Monday. The second dose will be given on May 3.

Health department to hold vaccine clinic at Columbia Mall

The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services will host a clinic to give out 2,000 coronavirus vaccine shots next week.

The clinic will take place Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Columbia Mall in the same spot where Boone Health administers vaccines, the department said in a news release.

Appointments are encouraged and are available through a state website or by calling 877-435-8411.

Walk-ins will also be available. The vaccine is free.

The clinic will administer Pfizer's two-dose vaccine, which is approved for people age 16 and older. Those who get a first dose should expect to get a second dose May 10 or 11, the department says.

The Missouri National Guard and state health department are helping to run the clinic.

State reports 500+ jump in coronavirus cases

Missouri's new coronavirus cases jumped above 500 on Wednesday, far higher than the rolling average of new daily cases.

The Department of Health and Senior Services reported 540 positive PCR tests for novel coronavirus, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 494,697. The state reported another 313 positive antigen tests, which are considered probable but not confirmed cases.

Wednesday's number is a jump of nearly 200 cases over the seven-day rolling average of 349 on the state dashboard. The dashboard number does not include totals for Monday or Tuesday. The state reported 429 new PCR cases Tuesday and 198 on Monday.

The daily cases average has slowly climbed this month. The state health department says cases are up 9.4% over the past seven days. The percentage of positive PCR tests stayed steady Wednesday at 4.7%.

The state health department reported Wednesday that 32.2% of Missouri residents have received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine. Boone is the most-vaccinated county in the state, with 38.9% of county residents receiving at least one dose.