TUESDAY UPDATES: Missouri remains in the red zone; state profile report shows new cases down 10%
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 10% compared to last week with 238 cases per 100,000 people.
The report shows Missouri had more than than 14,625 new cases of COVID-19 for the week of Sept. 10.
The report also indicates 210 residents died from the coronavirus, a three percent decrease from the previous week.
All counties are in the red zone or high transmission level except three, Platte, Lawrence and Cedar. Those three counties are in the orange (substantial transmission level).
Over 56% of Missouri residents have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and more than 46% are considered fully vaccinated.
According to the report, over 96% of coronavirus cases are considered the Delta variant.
According to the report, 30 hospitals are dealing with staffing shortages which accounts for 25% of hospitals in the state. 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. 27,964 people 18 and older initiated vaccination last week which is 7.4% lower than the last report. 3,981 People 12-17 initiated vaccines last week which is 5.3% lower than the last report.
New coronavirus cases in Boone County pushes active cases above 600
The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services is reporting 69 new COVID-19 cases.
There are currently 604 active cases in the county, an increase of 34 from Monday. The county now has a reported total number of 23,900 COVID-19 cases.
The county reported 23,147 cases removed from isolation, an increase of 37.
Boone County ranks seventh in the state with the most coronavirus cases in total volume in the past week. Cases are down 6.8% on the week. The county has a 9% positive test rate, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
The health department's hospital status is incomplete according to a social media update due to one of the three hospitals having incomplete information.
The Missouri coronavirus vaccine dashboard reports that 102,223 residents have received their first dose in Boone County and 91,757 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 56.6%. The second closest county in the state is St. Louis County with 55.8%.
Boone County is first in the state with a reported 50.8% of residents that have completed their coronavirus vaccine doses. St. Louis County is the second county in the state with 49.9% of residents have completed the doses for vaccination. The city of Joplin has 53.9% of the population fully vaccinated.
Cole County has the second-highest first vaccination rate in Mid-Missouri with 49%. Montgomery County is third with 44.8%.
The Columbia Public Schools reports active coronavirus and quarantine cases to their website daily.
On Monday, the district reported a 49.3 14-day rate per 10,000.
CPS reports 12 district facilities (six elementary schools, three high schools and three other district facilities) currently have staff out because of COVID-19. There is seven staff at elementary, two staff at a high school and one at other districtwide facilities that have tested positive for the coronavirus. The district has eight staff currently quarantined because of COVID.
The district reports 33 district facilities to have students currently out due to the coronavirus. There are 20 out of 21 elementary, all middle and high schools and two districtwide facilities affected.
There are 53 students that have tested positive for COVID-19, an increase of eight from Monday. The district is reporting 25 students in elementary, 10 students in middle school, nine students in High School and one at a districtwide facility have tested positive for the coronavirus.
There are 282 students, which are required to quarantine due to the coronavirus, an increase of 42 students. The district reports 142 elementary students are currently quarantining, 92 students in middle school, 40 students in high school and 10 at other district facilities.
Cole County reports nine coronavirus-related deaths
The Cole County Health Department reported six new coronavirus cases from over the weekend.
According to the dashboard update, there are 10,676 residential cases and 284 long-term care facility resident cases. That is 10,960 total cases in the county.
Cole County reported nine new coronavirus-related deaths. The county has 155 coronavirus deaths. The county reported eight new coronavirus deaths; bringing the total to 94 deaths. The county is also reporting one new coronavirus-related death in a long-term care facility; that brings the number of deaths in long-term care facilities to 61.
Cole County ranks 42nd in the state for counties with the most coronavirus cases per capita in the past week. Cases are down 2.6% comparing last week to the prior week. The county has an 11.3% positive test rate, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
The Missouri coronavirus vaccine dashboard reports about 49% of the county have initiated their first dose of the vaccine and 44.4% of the county's population have been fully vaccinated.
The Jefferson City School District reported two new student coronavirus cases. The district has 15 active coronavirus cases in students and three active cases in staff.
The district is reporting six close contacts for students and one close contact for staff.
Coronavirus cases rise in Columbia Public Schools and on MU campus
Coronavirus cases rose to start the week in Columbia Public Schools and at the University of Missouri, the schools reported Tuesday.
CPS reported 282 students in quarantine because of coronavirus exposure and 53 positive student cases Tuesday morning. Those numbers are up from the 240 and 45 reported Monday, respectively. The numbers in CPS have fluctuated since the beginning of the school year. Cases and quarantines are present in all of the district's middle and high schools and in 20 of 21 elementary buildings.
CPS requires everyone to wear masks indoors. That rule was extended Monday by a unanimous vote of the Columbia Board of Education. The district superintendent cited continuing high rates of coronavirus transmission in making the case to extend the mask rule.
Cases are also up on the University of Missouri campus. The number of active student cases on campus rose to 54 on Tuesday after staying in the 40s for several days. The jump includes 19 new cases diagnosed Monday, according to MU's coronavirus reporting website. The university has reported 154 cases in students this semester, well below the numbers reported in fall 2020.
Masks are required in classrooms at MU and other UM System campuses. The UM System Board of Curators voted Monday to extend that rule to Oct. 15. However, curators carved out an exemption for vaccinated people to go unmasked at voluntary athletic and social events.
More than 2,100 new cases of COVID-19 recorded across Missouri
Missouri added more than 2,100 new cases of COVID-19 since Monday.
According to the data from the Missouri Department of Health Senior Services, 1,530 new cases of the virus were found with PCR testing.
Antigen testing revealed another 613 new cases.
The seven-day positivity rate in Missouri dropped Tuesday from 11.4% on Monday to 11.1%.
Missouri also recorded an additional 137 new coronavirus-related deaths. According to the state health department, 125 of those deaths happened in August.
Officials said the additional virus-related deaths were discovered during a weekly check of death certificates.
At least 11,010 people in Missouri have died from COVID-19.
Hospitals across the state are treating 1,871 coronavirus patients.
More than 3.2 million Missourians have started the vaccination process against COVID-19.
That's 52.7% of the state's population.
