TUESDAY UPDATES: Missouri remains in the red zone; state profile report shows new cases down 21%
The newest State Profile Report shows Missouri remains at the high transmission level of COVID-19. The report however shows new cases are down by 21% with 261 cases per 100,000 people.
The report shows Missouri had more than than 16,044 new cases of COVID-19 for the week of August 13.
The report also indicates 183 residents died from the coronavirus, an eight percent increase from the previous week.
All counties are in the red zone or high transmission level except two. Schuyler County was in the yellow zone in the previous report and moved up to orange in this one. Worth County was in the orange zone and is now in the blue. And Pemiscot County was in the orange zone and is now in red.
Nearly 4% of Missouri residents have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and more than 42% are considered fully vaccinated.
According to the report, nearly 52% of coronavirus cases are considered the Delta variant.
According to the report, 32 hospitals are dealing with staffing shortages which accounts for 27% of hospitals in the state which is up by one and one percent from the last report. Seven hospitals are currently dealing with supply shortages or six percent of all hospitals that's the same as the last report.
Vaccine rates are falling slightly. 53,575 people 18 and older initiated vaccination last week which is 1.9% lower than the last report. 10,837 People 12-17 initiated vaccines last week which is 2.4% lower than the last report. And 64,153 people 12 and older initiated vaccines last week which is 2.0% lower than the last report.
Missouri Department of Conservation closes headquarters and two sites due to COVID
The Missouri Department of Conservation has closed its headquarters after an employee tested positive with COVID-19.
Officials in the department report the person who was positive worked in multiple areas of the building.
The building is closed until Friday morning.
The department is also closing two locations across the state due to a precaution of COVID-19.
The agency’s Clinton Office was closed to the public on Tuesday and is scheduled to reopen to the public on Monday.
The Lake City Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center will be closed beginning Wednesday and will reopen to the public on Wednesday.
Sedalia Board of Education approves mask wearing for students and staff
The Sedalia School District 200 Board of Education approved a resolution Monday that would require students, staff and visitors to wear masks in all district buildings beginning Wednesday.
Officials say the resolution will be reviewed at the board’s regular monthly meetings.
The Sedalia school district follows other districts mandating masks. Jefferson City issued their mandate on Monday and Columbia issued theirs on Friday.
Boone County reports 130th coronavirus-related death; active cases increase
The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services is reporting one coronavirus-related death Tuesday. That brings the total number of coronavirus deaths in Boone County to 130. The individual was in the 80+ age group and died July 31.
The county also reported 40 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday.
There are currently 638 active cases in the county, an increase of 18 from Monday. The county now has a reported total number of COVID-19 cases of 22,200.
The county reported 21,432 cases removed from isolation, an increase of 21 from Monday.
Boone County ranks eighth in the state with the most coronavirus cases in total volume in the past week. Cases are down 19.7% on the week. The county has a 10.2% positive test rate, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
The positivity rate is up for the previous week of August 6 through Thursday to 27.7.
The health department's hospital status remains in yellow, with 127 COVID-19 patients in Boone County hospitals and 29 of them being Boone County residents. Of those, 35 are in intensive care and 11 are on ventilators.
The Missouri coronavirus vaccine dashboard is reporting that 99,317 residents have received their first dose in Boone County and 87,258 Boone County residents have completed their vaccine doses. Boone County has the largest percentage of county residents in Mid-Missouri that have received at least one dose of the vaccine with 55%. The second closest county in the state is St. Louis County with 54%.
Boone County is first in the state with a reported 48.4% of residents that have completed their coronavirus vaccine doses. St. Louis County is the second county in the state with 47.5% of residents have completed the doses for vaccination.
Cole County has the second-highest first vaccination rate in Mid-Missouri with 47.2%. Montgomery County is third with 42.6%.
Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services also released their decision when it comes to giving a third coronavirus vaccine dose to those that need it.
If a person qualifies for the third dose due to a condition they may go to a local vaccinator to seek the third dose. Individuals should talk to their health care provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them.
Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services report they will give the third dose for the coronavirus vaccine if the person signs a form stating that they qualify for a third dose.
An individual should present their CDC COVID-19 vaccination card at the time of the third dose vaccination.
Cole County reports seven new coronavirus-related deaths; 135 total
The Cole County Health Department reported 28 new coronavirus cases Tuesday.
According to the dashboard update, there are 10,009 residential cases and a total of 282 cases for long-term care facility residents. That brings a total of 10,291 total cases in the county.
The county is currently reporting 135 coronavirus-related deaths since the pandemic started, which is the most in Mid-Missouri. Cole County added seven deaths Tuesday -- two in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes -- after the state's weekly review of death certificates.
Cole County ranks 19th in the state for counties with the most coronavirus cases per capita in the past week. Cases are down 18.1% on the week. The county has a 14.9% positive test rate, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
The Missouri coronavirus vaccine dashboard reports about 41% of the county's population have been fully vaccinated.
Officials are now reporting that individuals that received the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine can now receive an additional booster vaccine at least 28 days after the first two doses if the patient has undergone solid organ transplantation or is diagnosed with conditions that are considered to have an equivalent level of the immuno-compromised state.
The Cole County Health Department will not be offering booster shots at this time.
However, Capital Region Medical Center, Saint Mary’s Hospital, Jefferson City Medical Group, and the Community Health Center of Jefferson City are able to give first, second, and now third shots.
Boone Health urging employees to get vaccinated, but not requiring it
Boone Health said Tuesday that it has created incentives for employees to get vaccinated against the coronavirus but is not requiring the shot.
Fully vaccinated employees are being entered into weekly drawings for cash prizes, the operator of Boone Hospital and multiple clinics said in a news release. Those employees who continue to hold out will be required to follow additional safety practices starting Oct. 4, Boone Health said.
The organization sought to allay fears about unvaccinated employees, as well.
"Regardless of vaccination status, all employees are required to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure a safe environment for one another and safe patient care while at the hospital or in clinics," Boone Health said. "To date, there has been no evidence of any patient-employee transmission at Boone Health."
The county's other major hospital operator -- MU Health Care -- is requiring its employees to be vaccinated.
Boone County's hospitals are feeling the strain from the delta variant-fueled wave of cases sweeping across the region. They were treating 135 coronavirus patients as of Monday and were limiting some transfers and procedures. Visitors have also been restricted.
Missouri continues to lag in vaccination rates, with just 43.2% of the population fully vaccinated. Boone County fares slightly better, with 48.4% fully vaccinated.
Missouri records more than 120 new virus-related deaths
The state health dashboard added 124 new COVID-19 deaths Tuesday morning. Missouri's death toll from the pandemic now sits at 10,152.
Included in the addition are 86 deaths that occurred previously. State health officials linked the deaths to COVID-19 following a weekly review of death certificates.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services recorded 1,501 new confirmed coronavirus cases Tuesday, bringing the total throughout the pandemic to 604,336.
The state health dashboard also showed 596 new probable COVID-19 cases. In total, 120,160 probable cases have been discovered through antigen testing.
Though the seven-day COVID-19 positivity rate dropped slightly, now sitting at 14.2% statewide, hospitalizations increased by more than 100.
The most recent data from the state show 2,380 people were being treated for the coronavirus in Missouri hospitals on Saturday. Of those patients, 660 were receiving intensive care.
