FRIDAY UPDATES: Boone County reports 87th coronavirus-related death; 19th in 2021
The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services is reporting one coronavirus-related death. This is the 87th COVID-19 related death overall and the 19th in 2021. Officials report the individual was in the 80+ age group.
The health department is reporting seven new COVID-19 cases.
There are currently 57 active cases in the county.
The county continues to trend down as there have been 99 straight days of single or double-digit case increases.
The health department is reporting two Boone County residents are in the hospital due to the coronavirus.
The State of Missouri coronavirus vaccine dashboard is reporting that 80,762 residents have received their first dose in Boone County and 65,431 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 44.8%. The second closest in the state is St. Louis County with 40.9%.
Boone County is now first in the state with a reported 36.3% of residents that have completed their coronavirus vaccine doses. Atchison County is second in the state with 34% of residents have completed the doses for vaccination.
Cole County has the second-highest first vaccination rate in Mid-Missouri with 36%. Montgomery County is third with 32.5%.
Nearly half of Missouri's adult population vaccinated; MU Health relaxes visitor restrictions
Nearly half of Missouri's adults have had at least one shot of a coronavirus vaccine, according to figures posted on the state COVID-19 dashboard.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported Friday that 48.7% of the state's 18-and-up population has taken at least one shot. More than 38% have completed vaccination.
The state added the figures using the adult population this week. Current coronavirus vaccines are not authorized for use in children under age 16.
The number of vaccinations per day on average dropped again Friday, continuing its rapid descent. The average number of shots given daily dropped to about 20,500 on Friday -- a fraction of the nearly 55,000 daily shots given out at the program's peak.
Missouri recorded 414 new confirmed coronavirus infections Friday through PCR testing for a total of 504,868 cases since the pandemic began. The state reported another 193 positive antigen tests, which are considered probable but not confirmed cases.
The state dashboard reports new cases are down nearly 13% over the past week compared to the week before.
The rate of new infections has slowed in Mid-Missouri counties, with only Pettis appearing in the top 20 counties for new cases per capita over the last seven days.
MU Health Care relaxes visitor restrictions
MU Health Care will now allow two visitors for each hospital patient but masks will still be required.
Adult patients at University Hospital, Missouri Orthopaedic Institute and Women’s and Children’s Hospital will be allowed two visitors starting Monday, with visiting hours expanding from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Missouri Psychiatric Center patients will also be allowed two visitors, though visiting hours there are from 4 to 8 p.m.
Emergency room patients, outpatients and patients attending clinic visits will still be limited to one guest. All visitors must be 16 years old.
MU Health Care and other health organizations put strict limits on visitors during the coronavirus pandemic. Those restrictions are being relaxed with cases dropping and vaccinations increasing.
