FRIDAY UPDATES: Nearly 100 hospitalized with coronavirus in Boone County hospitals

The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services reported 87 new COVID-19 cases Friday.

There are currently 498 active cases in the county and 26,897 cases since the pandemic began. The county reported 26 cases removed from isolation.

Boone County ranks 13th in the state with the most coronavirus cases in total volume in the past week. Cases are down 2.7% when comparing last week to the prior week. The county has a 10% positivity test rate, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS).

The health department's hospital status is yellow with 96 COVID-19 patients in Boone County hospitals and 12 of them being Boone County residents. Of the 96 patients, 41 are in intensive care and 17 are on ventilators.

The Missouri coronavirus vaccine dashboard reports that 110,614 residents have received their first dose in Boone County and 97,012 Boone County residents have completed their vaccine doses.

Boone County has the third-largest percentage of county residents in Missouri that have received at least one dose of the vaccine with 61.3%. The largest county in the state is St. Louis County with 64.7%.

Boone County is third in the state with a reported 53.8% of residents that have completed their coronavirus vaccine doses. St. Louis County is the first county in the state with 56.6% of residents having completed the doses for vaccination. The city of Joplin has 58.8% of the population fully vaccinated.

Cole County has the second-highest first vaccination rate in Mid-Missouri with 52.5%. Callaway County is third with 48.3%.

The Columbia Public Schools reports active coronavirus and quarantine cases to their website daily.

The district reported a 36.9 14-day rate per 10,000 for Friday.

CPS reports 12 district facilities (eight elementary schools, one middle school, one high school and two other district-wide facilities) currently have staff out because of COVID-19. Eight staff members at an elementary school, one staff member at a middle school, two staff members at a high school and two staff members at a district-wide facility have tested positive for COVID-19. Two staff members at elementary schools have to quarantine due to the close contact.

The district reports 32 district facilities to have students currently out due to the coronavirus. The district is reporting 19 of the elementary schools, all of the middle schools and high schools and two district-wide facilities are affected.

There are 51 students that have tested positive for COVID-19. The district is reporting 31 students in elementary, 11 students in middle school, eight students in high school and one student at a district-wide facility have tested positive for the coronavirus.

There are 292 students who are required to quarantine due to the coronavirus. The district reports 173 elementary students are currently quarantining, 95 students in middle school, 15 students in high school and 10 students at district-wide facilities.

Cole County reports 36 new coronavirus cases

The Cole County Health Department reported 36 new coronavirus cases from Thursday.

According to the dashboard update, there are 11,907 residential cases and 289 long-term care facility resident cases. That is 12,196 total cases in the county.

Cole County reports there are 168 coronavirus deaths since the pandemic began.

Cole County ranks 32nd in the state for counties with the most coronavirus cases per 100,000 in the past week. Cases are up 24.6% when comparing last week to the prior week. The county has reported a 13.4% positivity test rate, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The Missouri coronavirus vaccine dashboard reports about 52.5% of the county have initiated their first dose of the vaccine and 48.1% of the county's population have been fully vaccinated.

The Jefferson City School District reported two new coronavirus cases in the student population and no new cases in a staff member from Thursday.

The district is reporting six total active cases in students and one active case in staff.

The district is reporting 123 close contacts for students and nine close contacts for staff.

Missouri DHSS reports first omicron variant case in St. Louis resident

The Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services (DHSS) is reporting a St. Louis resident has a sample presumed positive for the Omicron variant.

“Although there is much we still need to learn about this new variant, we do know the best tool currently available to protect ourselves from COVID-19 is personal prevention. I urge Missourians to seek information on the Omicron variant from DHSS and trusted medical sources opposed to social media,” said Donald Kauerauf, DHSS Director, according to a release. “We also encourage Missourians to remain vigilant in protecting themselves and staying informed this holiday season as this new variant is investigated further.”

Officials report the sample was originally sequenced as part of commercial laboratory surveillance and results are currently awaiting confirmation by the CDC.

“The Delta variant is still the predominant variant present in Missouri, currently representing well over 99 percent of the cases. Citizens are urged to complete their vaccination series for COVID-19 and get their booster,” said Kauerauf.  

State reports more than 4,000 confirmed coronavirus cases as daily average rises

The daily average of new coronavirus cases in Missouri has increased by more than a third over the past three days, according to state health department reporting.

That number stood at 1,117 on Tuesday. Friday, it increased to 1,493. The daily average looks at the last seven days and doesn't account for the past three days, which will push that number even higher.

The state logged 4,039 new coronavirus cases through PCR testing and another 1,336 probable cases identified in antigen testing Friday, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services coronavirus dashboard. Missouri has now reported 749,209 confirmed cases for the entire pandemic and more than 170,075 probable cases.

The state recorded six more confirmed deaths for a total of 12,610 and one new probable death for a total of 2,843.

Missouri's new cases are up nearly 20% over the past week, the state reports, as new cases surge nationwide. Health experts warn the worst might still be ahead as colder temperatures continue to push people inside.

The rate of positive tests was at 12.7% for the last week, an increase of nearly three percentage points.

Cole, Randolph and Audrain counties are all in the upper third of counties in new cases per capita over the last week, according to state statistics.

Nearly 2% of vaccinated Missourians have developed COVID-19 infections, the state reports.

Experts continue to tout vaccination as the best tool to fight the wave of new cases, but new vaccinations have effectively stalled in Missouri, with more boosters being given daily than first or second shots. The state reported Friday that 51.6% of Missouri residents are fully vaccinated.

COVID-19 hospitalizations are also trending upward, with the state reporting 18% of total hospital capacity and ICU capacity remaining. Those numbers are at 27% and 32% in Central Missouri, respectively.