Missouri governor: Health officials play COVID-19 blame game
3 years, 5 months ago

Missouri governor: Health officials play COVID-19 blame game

Associated Press  

Mike Parson suggested Tuesday that some southwest Missouri health officials who are publicly discussing a marked increase in COVID-19 cases are trying to find someone to blame and want to scare people into getting vaccinated. Health officials should try to encourage people to get vaccinated but should not resort to “trying to force people to take a vaccine or literally just scare them into taking a vaccine because we know that doesn’t work,” Parson said during a stop in Kansas City. “This surge in the spread of the virus has placed extreme strain on our health care system,” Katie Towns, acting director of the Springfield-Greene County Health Department told the city council on Monday. The surge prompted Springfield officials to cancel the popular Birthplace of Route 66 Festival scheduled for late August, citing the increasing number of cases and hospitalizations, along with the region’s low rate of vaccinations, The Kansas City Star reported.

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History of this topic

Cases surge in new COVID hot spots of Michigan, Minnesota
3 years, 1 month ago

Cases surge in new COVID hot spots of Michigan, Minnesota

Associated Press  

Hospitals in Michigan and Minnesota on Tuesday reported a wave of COVID-19 patients not seen in months as beds were filled with unvaccinated people and health care leaders warned that staff were being worn down by yet another surge. It “should be alarming to all of us,” Bob Riney, chief operating officer at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, said …

Missouri to let nursing homes close due to vaccine mandate
3 years, 1 month ago

Missouri to let nursing homes close due to vaccine mandate

Associated Press  

— The Missouri health department is giving nursing homes a legal pathway to temporarily shut down if they face staffing shortages because of a new mandate from President Joe Biden’s administration for health care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. A federal rule issued last week by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requires COVID-19 vaccinations for more than …

Some US governors say Covid hospitalizations are going down but warn of what could come next if more people don’t get vaccinated
3 years, 2 months ago

Some US governors say Covid hospitalizations are going down but warn of what could come next if more people don’t get vaccinated

CNN  

CNN — Some governors are beginning to report encouraging signs in their state’s Covid-19 numbers, but warn of what could come next if more people don’t get vaccinated. Kaiser noted that the bulk of the interviews for September’s poll happened before Pfizer announced on September 20 that its Covid-19 vaccine was safe and generated a “robust” antibody response in children …

Governor: Most state workers must be vaccinated or tested
3 years, 4 months ago

Governor: Most state workers must be vaccinated or tested

Associated Press  

RICHMOND, Va. — Most of Virginia’s state workers will have to be vaccinated or agree to regular COVID-19 testing, under a new requirement Gov. The directive won’t apply to legislative or judicial branch workers or workers in K-12 schools, though Yarmosky said the governor is encouraging local governments to follow his lead. During the news conference, the governor also addressed …

Maryland governor: ‘Just get the damn vaccine’
3 years, 4 months ago

Maryland governor: ‘Just get the damn vaccine’

Associated Press  

— Urging people to “just get the damn vaccine,” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced new vaccination requirements for state employees who work in congregant settings with the vulnerable on Thursday — or else face strict face-covering requirements and regular COVID-19 testing. “The state will lead by example with our own employees who are working in congregant facilities, but today we …

Missouri health leaders warn of COVID-19 increase in kids
3 years, 4 months ago

Missouri health leaders warn of COVID-19 increase in kids

Associated Press  

Springfield and St. Louis area health leaders are asking adults to wear masks and get the COVID-19 vaccine to protect children as hospitals report admitting more young patients with the disease, including some in intensive care. Spring Schmidt, deputy director of the St. Louis County health department, said Wednesday about one in five current total cases in county hospitals has …

Some people in Missouri are getting vaccinated in secret to avoid backlash from loved ones, doctor says
3 years, 4 months ago

Some people in Missouri are getting vaccinated in secret to avoid backlash from loved ones, doctor says

CNN  

CNN — The Covid-19 vaccine has become so polarizing that some people in Missouri are getting inoculated in secret for fear of backlash from their friends and family who oppose vaccination, a doctor told CNN on Wednesday. “They did their own research on it, and they talked to people and made the decisions themselves,” Frase told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “But …

People in Missouri secretly getting vaccinated out of fear their community will turn on them
3 years, 4 months ago

People in Missouri secretly getting vaccinated out of fear their community will turn on them

Daily Mail  

Missouri residents are allegedly wearing disguises and getting COVID-19 vaccines in secret in fear of blowback from members of their communities. Dr Priscilla Frase told ABC that some Missourians are coming in disguise or in secret to receive COVID-19 vaccines Only 48 percent of residents have received at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine so far, state health department …

Missouri hospital just hit its all-time high for Covid cases. But the county fair that attracts thousands won’t be canceled
3 years, 5 months ago

Missouri hospital just hit its all-time high for Covid cases. But the county fair that attracts thousands won’t be canceled

CNN  

CNN — Amy Tignor remembers the crowds that attended the Ozark Empire Fair’s rides, concerts and livestock shows in past years. A resident of Springfield, Missouri, since 2005 and the operations manager of a local brewery, Tignor said nothing could “drag her there” this year, even though she’s fully vaccinated. “And that just seems like a risk that I’m not …

Missouri coronavirus surge: Unvaccinated nursing instructor is hospitalized with Covid-19 and urging everyone to get the vaccine
3 years, 5 months ago

Missouri coronavirus surge: Unvaccinated nursing instructor is hospitalized with Covid-19 and urging everyone to get the vaccine

CNN  

Springfield, Missouri CNN — Christy Henry had played it safe during the pandemic. “Covid-19 is extremely, extremely serious,” she said, urging everyone she knows to get vaccinated. Kate Giacchi, a critical care nurse at the University of Missouri Hospital, said that staff are “mentally and physically and emotionally worn out” from dealing with Covid-19 for more than a year, with …

COVID-19 cases in Missouri reach highest level since January
3 years, 5 months ago

COVID-19 cases in Missouri reach highest level since January

Associated Press  

— Missouri’s health department on Thursday reported the highest daily count of new COVID-19 cases since the dead of winter, and the association representing the state’s hospital is warning that the health care system is potentially on the brink of a crisis. State health department spokeswoman Lisa Cox said officials in the agency “are identifying available resources and options to …

Covid-19 cases are surging in 46 states. In one hot spot, hospitalized patients are younger than ever, doctor says
3 years, 5 months ago

Covid-19 cases are surging in 46 states. In one hot spot, hospitalized patients are younger than ever, doctor says

CNN  

CNN — Just as health experts predicted, the combination of unvaccinated people and the more contagious Delta strain of coronavirus has led to new Covid-19 surges. The vast majority of new Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths have one thing in common: They’re among unvaccinated people, doctors say. We’re seeing some teenagers and some pediatric patients as well.” In St. Louis …

Missouri hospital opens 6th virus ward as variant rages
3 years, 5 months ago

Missouri hospital opens 6th virus ward as variant rages

Associated Press  

— A Springfield, Missouri, hospital has opened its sixth COVID-19 ward as the delta virus variant rages in the state’s southwest region, and St. Louis County and Kansas City health officials also are warning about a sharp increase in cases. Mercy Hospital in Springfield announced Sunday that it had opened its sixth COVID-19 ward, after the hospital needed only five …

Missouri governor doesn’t want door-to-door vaccine help
3 years, 5 months ago

Missouri governor doesn’t want door-to-door vaccine help

Associated Press  

— Federal officials are pushing back after Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he doesn’t want government employees going door-to-door in his state to urge people to get vaccinated, even as a COVID-19 outbreak overwhelms some hospitals. After President Joe Biden mentioned the possibility of door-to-door promotion of the vaccine, Parson tweeted: “I have directed our health department to let the …

As New York salutes health workers, Missouri fights a surge
3 years, 5 months ago

As New York salutes health workers, Missouri fights a surge

Associated Press  

New York held a ticker-tape parade Wednesday for the health care workers and others who helped the city pull through the darkest days of COVID-19, while authorities in Missouri struggled to beat back a surge blamed on the fast-spreading delta variant and deep resistance to getting vaccinated. “We’ve got a lot to appreciate, because we’re well underway in our recovery,” …

Missouri faces ventilator shortage as COVID hospitalizations spike by 27% amid Delta variant surge
3 years, 5 months ago

Missouri faces ventilator shortage as COVID hospitalizations spike by 27% amid Delta variant surge

Daily Mail  

The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Missouri jumped by 27 percent over the fourth of July weekend as the state faces a massive COVID-19 surge. Missouri hospitals are running low on ventilators as they experience a summer surge of the virus 'After what we've seen in the last month everyone is just holding their breath, especially after a holiday …

Ventilator shortage as Missouri virus hospitalizations spike
3 years, 5 months ago

Ventilator shortage as Missouri virus hospitalizations spike

Associated Press  

MISSION, Kansas — The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients jumped by nearly 27% over the Fourth of July weekend in a hard-hit area of Missouri where immunization rates are low, leading to a temporary ventilator shortfall and a public call for help from respiratory therapists. “After what we’ve seen in the last month everyone is just holding their breath, especially …

Missouri hospital CEO: Vaccine opponents should ‘Shut up’
3 years, 5 months ago

Missouri hospital CEO: Vaccine opponents should ‘Shut up’

Associated Press  

— One Missouri hospital official is telling anyone making disparaging remarks about the COVID-19 vaccine to “Shut up” as state officials ask for federal help dealing with a surge in cases that has some counties urging new precautions. CoxHealth and the city’s other hospital, Mercy Springfield, were treating 168 COVID-19 patients Friday, up from 31 on May 24, before the …

Kansas starts COVID campaign amid fears about delta variant
3 years, 5 months ago

Kansas starts COVID campaign amid fears about delta variant

Associated Press  

TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas Gov. Missouri on Wednesday reported 854 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, driven largely by a jump in cases in areas already hard hit by the delta variant. Meanwhile, in Kansas, the state Department of Health and Environment reported that the number of identified delta variant cases rose 27.5% from 222 to 283 since Monday. State health department …

Parson urges vaccinations amid spiking COVID-19 cases
3 years, 5 months ago

Parson urges vaccinations amid spiking COVID-19 cases

Associated Press  

Mike Parson on Wednesday said Missouri wants to increase the state’s lagging vaccination rate for COVID-19, as it deals with a big spike in cases and hospitalizations. “It’s just not going to go away.” Parson said 18-29 year-olds, who are less likely to get seriously ill from the virus, can spread it to others who are at higher risk. Asked …

Number of critically ill patients spikes in SW Missouri
3 years, 5 months ago

Number of critically ill patients spikes in SW Missouri

Associated Press  

— The spike in COVID-19 cases is leading to a surge of critical illnesses in southwestern Missouri. The Springfield-Greene County Health Department on Friday reported the largest number of critical care and intensive care unit patients since the pandemic began, KYKY-TV reported. Health officials in Missouri’s third-largest city say 44% of the 167 COVID-19 patients there are considered critical care …

Unvaccinated Missourians fuel COVID: ‘We will be the canary’
3 years, 6 months ago

Unvaccinated Missourians fuel COVID: ‘We will be the canary’

Associated Press  

— As the U.S. emerges from the COVID-19 crisis, Missouri is becoming a cautionary tale for the rest of the country: It is seeing an alarming rise in cases because of a combination of the fast-spreading delta variant and stubborn resistance among many people to getting vaccinated. “If people elsewhere in the country are looking to us and saying, ‘No …

Missouri leads nation in highest rate of new COVID cases
3 years, 6 months ago

Missouri leads nation in highest rate of new COVID cases

Associated Press  

— Missouri now leads the nation with the highest rate of new COVID-19 infections as vaccinations lag and the Delta variant takes hold. The north-central and southwest part of the state are driving the surge, said Lisa Cox, spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Data from the state health department’s COVID-19 dashboard showed that the number …

COVID-19 cases rise in Missouri areas popular among tourists
3 years, 6 months ago

COVID-19 cases rise in Missouri areas popular among tourists

Associated Press  

— A swath of southern Missouri is seeing a big rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations at just the wrong time — as tourists eager to get out after being cooped up for a year make their way to popular destinations such as Branson and Lake of the Ozarks. Data from the state health department’s COVID-19 dashboard on Wednesday showed …

COVID-19 vaccine effort turns into slog as infectious variant spreads
3 years, 6 months ago

COVID-19 vaccine effort turns into slog as infectious variant spreads

LA Times  

One man holds the door for another as they arrive at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic May 12 at the Auburn Mall in Auburn, Maine. “The last half, the last mile, the last quarter-mile always requires more effort,” Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday. The delta variant has increased from 2.7% of …

Missouri officials urge vaccinations before Fourth of July
3 years, 6 months ago

Missouri officials urge vaccinations before Fourth of July

Associated Press  

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to spike in southwestern Missouri, and residents there are being urged to get vaccinated before gathering for Fourth of July activities. Springfield-Greene County Acting Health Director Katie Towns said 142 new cases of the coronavirus were reported Tuesday, and the seven-day average has reached 62, the highest level since Feb. 10. State health department data …

Variants blamed for COVID-19 spike in northern Missouri
3 years, 6 months ago

Variants blamed for COVID-19 spike in northern Missouri

Associated Press  

— Two neighboring counties in rural northern Missouri are seeing big increases in COVID-19 cases, spikes blamed in part on new variants of the virus, and in part on the behavior of residents. The COVID-19 hub for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services on Wednesday showed Livingston County with 348 cases per 100,000 residents over for the seven-day …

Covid-19 vaccination: An 8th US state just reached a critical milestone
3 years, 7 months ago

Covid-19 vaccination: An 8th US state just reached a critical milestone

CNN  

CNN — As US officials push for more vaccinations amid slowing demand across the country, another state has now crossed an important milestone. “This is so important because we’ve said from the beginning that success is not just determined by how many people we get vaccinated but by how equitably and fairly we vaccinate our population,” he added. “And workplaces, …

COVID-19 cases rise as states ease restrictions; CDC director warns of "impending doom"
3 years, 8 months ago

COVID-19 cases rise as states ease restrictions; CDC director warns of "impending doom"

Salon  

News of the vaccination roll-out might have misled Americans into believing that it was okay to relax. Indeed, as states begin to roll back COVID-19 restrictions, infections are going up rapidly in the United States — prompting one high ranking official to warn of "impending doom." "I'm going to pause here, I'm going to lose the script and I'm going …

As some states open Covid-19 vaccines to all, many are still weeks away
3 years, 9 months ago

As some states open Covid-19 vaccines to all, many are still weeks away

CNN  

CNN — The tweet came as a surprise. A CNN analysis of state health departments has found that Covid-19 vaccination eligibility is anticipated to open to the general public in certain states by the following timeline: March 29: Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio, North Dakota, Louisiana, Kansas March 30: Minnesota March 31: Indiana, South Carolina April 1: Montana, Connecticut April 2: New …

Missouri expects J&J vaccinations to start by Wednesday
3 years, 9 months ago

Missouri expects J&J vaccinations to start by Wednesday

Associated Press  

— Missouri vaccinators are expected to receive the first 50,000 doses of the newly-approved Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine by Wednesday, and the state’s health director said the shots can start as soon as the doses arrive. Mike Parson said in a news release that hospitals, local public health agencies, federally-qualified health centers and mass vaccination clinics will get the …

Missouri mass vaccination events called off due to weather
3 years, 10 months ago

Missouri mass vaccination events called off due to weather

Associated Press  

— The snow, ice and bitter cold gripping Missouri has delayed people from coronavirus vaccinations, including those who signed up for mass inoculation events that had been scheduled for this week. “We want to protect the safety of everyone involved in the mass vaccination events, from the patients being vaccinated to the volunteers who generously support these events.” Parson said …

Missouri governor to vaccinators: Don’t go rogue
3 years, 10 months ago

Missouri governor to vaccinators: Don’t go rogue

Associated Press  

— Missouri’s governor and health director on Thursday warned local entities responsible for COVID-19 vaccinations to stick with the state’s priority list or risk losing future distributions. Mike Parson used part of his weekly news conference to raise concerns about vaccinators going rogue and allowing some people who are not yet eligible for the vaccine to jump ahead in line. …

Chicago mayor gets vaccine as state loosens virus rules
3 years, 10 months ago

Chicago mayor gets vaccine as state loosens virus rules

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot received a COVID-19 vaccine shot Monday as Illinois touted online signups and efforts to address racial equity at the start of its latest vaccination phase covering essential workers and residents ages 65 and older. Chicago public health officials said early vaccination data shows alarming racial disparities. In Chicago, health officials said one in 25 …

Governors complain over pace of COVID-19 vaccine shipments
3 years, 11 months ago

Governors complain over pace of COVID-19 vaccine shipments

Associated Press  

Governors bitterly accused the Trump administration Friday of deceiving the states about the amount of COVID-19 vaccine they can expect to receive as they ramp up vaccinations for senior citizens and others. Oregon had announced earlier this week that it would expand vaccine eligibility to roughly 760,000 residents 65 and older, as well as teachers and child care providers, because …

WH task force tells health officials to take matters into their own hands if state and local Covid-19 rules are too lax
4 years ago

WH task force tells health officials to take matters into their own hands if state and local Covid-19 rules are too lax

CNN  

Washington CNN — The White House coronavirus task force offered some direct recommendations to states in its weekly report after telling officials that “the Covid risk to all Americans is at a historic high.” CNN has obtained weekly reports from dozens of states that warn the US is “in a very dangerous place” in the pandemic as the nation sees …

Virus kills 21 at Missouri nursing home; cases up statewide
4 years, 4 months ago

Virus kills 21 at Missouri nursing home; cases up statewide

Associated Press  

— A coronavirus outbreak at a southwestern Missouri nursing home has led to 21 deaths so far as confirmed cases increase across the state. In the past week, the state has added 1,582 newly confirmed cases per day on average, according to an Associated Press analysis of Johns Hopkins University’s COVID-19 tracking project. Kristi Fulnecky, an attorney and candidate for …

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