Missouri adds 2,200 new cases Wednesday; Kansas reports 3,006

[ad_1]

Here are the latest COVID-19 updates around the Kansas City metro area, and in Kansas and Missouri.What you need to know:The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said Monday the state has 350,384 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and there have been 5,394 deaths since the outbreak started. Kansas only updates its case totals on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said Wednesday there have been 606,552 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the outbreak and 10,161 deaths. Overall, the state said 50.5% of the population has received at least one dose and 43.4% have completed vaccination.WEDNESDAY9 p.m. — Members of Kansas City’s Transportation, Infrastructure and Operations Committee voted unanimously Wednesday night to recommend extending the city’s indoor mask mandate. The City Council will consider Thursday whether to approve it. READ MORE.7:45 p.m. — The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, announced Wednesday that employees who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be tested weekly for the disease. READ MORE.4 p.m. — President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced that his administration will require that nursing home staff be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition for those facilities to continue receiving federal Medicare and Medicaid funding. READ MORE.2:15 p.m. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported Wednesday a statewide total of 353,390 (+3,006) COVID-19 cases since the outbreak started in the state’s first update since Monday. In addition, KDHE reported 5,456 (+62) total deaths since the start of the outbreak.The state reported hospitalizations 12,311 (+98) since the start of the outbreak. The state also said there are 29% of ICU beds available and 78% of ventilators.The state also said it has vaccinated 1,479,961 people with one dose, 3,197,300 total doses of the vaccine have been administered. The state reports 50.8% of the population has been vaccinated with one dose and 43.8% have completed vaccination.[ KANSAS COVID-19 COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Johnson County is the county with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the outbreak with 67,036 cases. Sedgwick County is second with 63,449. Wyandotte County is third with 24,033 cases. Leavenworth County has 8,652 cases, Douglas County reports 10,022 and Miami County has 3,195.1:30 p.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 606,552 on Wednesday, which is an increase of 2,216 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 121,012 (+852) possible antigen cases to date.The state reported there have been 12,997 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,857 cases a day. The state said there have now been 10,161 (+9) deaths since the start of the outbreak. The delta variant of the virus is believed to be responsible for much of the spread in Missouri, especially in the southwestern and northern parts of the state. Officials also cite low vaccination rates, especially in rural areas.Throughout Missouri there are 16% of remaining ICU beds are available, 29% hospital beds available and 66% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 2,336 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state is 14.1%, according to the MDHSS. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November 2020.The state said it has administered 5,569,618 vaccine doses, 3,096,687 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,662,237 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 50.5% of the population has received at least one dose and 43.4% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 96,170 doses in the past seven days for an average of 13,739 per day.An estimated 49% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 45%, Jackson County is at 47.4%, Clay County is at 39.2%, Cass County is at 40.1% and Platte County is at 35.9%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 47,063 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 38,532 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,918 cases in Clay County, 9,573 in Cass County and 3,906 in Platte County.1 p.m. — Just one week into school, Turner USD 202 is instituting a mandatory mask mandate for all students and staff due to climbing rates of students in quarantine.According to a letter sent to parents Wednesday morning, with just six days into the school year, several positive coronavirus cases have been reported in school buildings. As a result, the district has been forced to quarantine a “significant amount” of unvaccinated, unmasked individuals. READ MORE. 10:30 a.m. — U.S. health officials Wednesday announced plans to offer COVID-19 booster shots to all Americans to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and signs that the vaccines’ effectiveness is falling.The plan, as outlined by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other top authorities, calls for an extra dose eight months after people get their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The doses could begin the week of Sept. 20.Click here to read more. 9 a.m. — Public health officials in Wyandotte County have started offering additional doses of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for individuals who are moderately to severely immunocompromised and who have already been fully vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.• The UGPHD encourages patients to bring their COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card to help expedite the process. • Patients will be asked to sign a form attesting that they need an additional COVID vaccine dose because they are moderately to severely immunocompromised. • Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. A parent/guardian must sign the attestation form on behalf of their child.Click here to learn more. 8 a.m. — Officials with the University of Kansas Health System said there are currently 54 patients with active COVID-19 infections at the University of Kansas Hospital. Of those, 16 patients are in the ICU, and 10 are on a ventilator. TUESDAY7:30 p.m. — The summer surge of COVID-19 is causing a spike in deaths in Missouri. The state health department says of 124 deaths reported Tuesday, 86 were discovered in the department’s weekly examination of death certificates from across the state. One of those deaths was in June, 52 in July and 33 earlier this month. But 38 of the deaths were new, an unusually high one-day total. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Missouri ranks fourth in per capita deaths over seven days, and that was before the 124 additional deaths were announced.5:45 p.m. — Following recent announcements from the US Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, certain immunocompromised individuals can begin receiving third doses of COVID-19 vaccine in Missouri. A third dose of the PfizerNBioTech or Moderna vaccines may be administered to moderately to severely immunocompromised people due to a medical condition or combination of immunosuppressive medication or treatments including but not limited to the following: Immunocompromised due to solid organ transplant and taking immune suppressing medications Immunocompromised due to active treatment for solid tumor and hematologic malignancies Immune compromised due to Receipt of CAR-T cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within 2 years of transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy) Moderate to severe primary immunodeficiency (eg., DiGeorge, Wiskott-Aldrich Syndromes) Immunocompromised due to Advanced or untreated HIV infection Immunocompromised due to “Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress immune response: high dose corticosteroids (ie.,≥ 20 mg prednisone or equivalent per day), alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, tumor-necrosis (TNF) blocker or other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory”Individuals who do not meet the criteria for “moderately to severely immunocompromised” do not need a third dose at this time.5:00 p.m. — The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment will start administering COVID-19 booster shots today. The shots are only available for people with immunocompromising conditions. The department made that announcement yesterday following last week’s decision by the CDC. 4:40 p.m. — A new study in the medical journal JAMA Network says both pregnant and breastfeeding women respond well to the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. 97% of the women in the study had the same reaction as the general population. 1:40 p.m. — The Kansas City Chiefs are reminding fans who take part in the game day stadium tours that they must be fully vaccinated. The team said it is the NFL’s COVID-19 policy that fans be completely vaccinated for on-field visits. READ MORE.1:15 p.m. — Johnson County Community College is requiring students, staff and visitors to wear masks indoors.College officials said the policy, which took effect Tuesday, is similar to past requirements that were effective in preserving the learning environment. READ MORE.9:50 a.m. — The University of Kansas Health System said Tuesday it is treating a total of 85 COVID-19 patients. Health officials said 62 are acute cases, with 21 in the intensive care unit and 14 on ventilators. The hospital said 23 patients are in recovery.9:30 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 604,336 on Tuesday, which is an increase of 1,501 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 120,160 (+596) possible antigen cases to date.The state reported there have been 12,839 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,834 cases a day. The state said there have now been 10,152 (+124) deaths since the start of the outbreak. Health officials said that deaths are often reported with a significant delay.The delta variant of the virus is believed to be responsible for much of the spread in Missouri, especially in the southwestern and northern parts of the state. Officials also cite low vaccination rates, especially in rural areas.Throughout Missouri there are 15% of remaining ICU beds are available, 28% hospital beds available and 65% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 2,380 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state is 14.2%, according to the MDHSS. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November 2020.The state said it has administered 5,554,214 vaccine doses, 3,089,664 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,653,543 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 50.3% of the population has received at least one dose and 43.2% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 95,407 doses in the past seven days for an average of 13,630 per day.An estimated 48.8% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 44.9%, Jackson County is at 47.3%, Clay County is at 39.2%, Cass County is at 40% and Platte County is at 35.8%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 46,860 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 38,395 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,877 cases in Clay County, 9,536 in Cass County and 3,889 in Platte County.MONDAY2:15 p.m. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported Monday a statewide total of 350,384 (+2,456) COVID-19 cases since the outbreak started in the state’s first update since Friday. In addition, KDHE reported 5,394 (+9) total deaths since the start of the outbreak.The state reported hospitalizations 12,213 (+62) since the start of the outbreak. The state also said there are 39% of ICU beds available and 79% of ventilators.The state also said it has vaccinated 1,472,464 people with one dose, 3,180,560 total doses of the vaccine have been administered. The state reports 50.5% of the population has been vaccinated with one dose and 43.5% have completed vaccination.[ KANSAS COVID-19 COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Johnson County is the county with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the outbreak with 66,528 cases. Sedgwick County is second with 62,988. Wyandotte County is third with 23,793 cases. Leavenworth County has 8,558 cases, Douglas County reports 9,948 and Miami County has 3,170.2 p.m. — The Unified Government Public Health Department said it will launch the third phase of its incentive program on Wednesday in an effort to get more Wyandotte County residents to the COVID-19 vaccine.Health officials said the incentive program now includes bigger Spin to Win instant prizes. Anyone living in Wyandotte County age 12 and over and who plays the Spin to Win instant prize game can win up to $100 instantly.In addition, the health department said it will hold two high-dollar raffle drawings for those age 20 and over who get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. There will be one $10,000 raffle prize and one $5,000 raffle prize drawing. READ MORE.9:30 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 602,835 on Monday, which is an increase of 1,114 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 119,564 (+260) possible antigen cases to date.The state reported there have been 12,886 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,841 cases a day. The state said there have now been 10,028 (+0) deaths since the start of the outbreak.The delta variant of the virus is believed to be responsible for much of the spread in Missouri, especially in the southwestern and northern parts of the state. Officials also cite low vaccination rates, especially in rural areas.Throughout Missouri there are 14% of remaining ICU beds are available, 26% hospital beds available and 67% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 2,215 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state is 14.6%, according to the MDHSS. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November 2020.The state said it has administered 5,541,640 vaccine doses, 3,083,921 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,646,417 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 50.2% of the population has received at least one dose and 43.1% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 93,580 doses in the past seven days for an average of 13,369 per day.An estimated 48.7% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 44.8%, Jackson County is at 47.2%, Clay County is at 39.1%, Cass County is at 39.9% and Platte County is at 35.7%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 46,757 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 38,310 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,838 cases in Clay County, 9,502 in Cass County and 3,879 in Platte County.9:15 a.m. — The University of Kansas Health System said it is treating 85 COVID-19 patients. Health officials said 63 are active inpatients, including 21 in the intensive care unit, with 16 on ventilators. The health system said 22 patients are in the recovery phase.SUNDAY9 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 601,721 on Sunday, which is an increase of 1,400 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 119,304 (+347) possible antigen cases to date.The state reported there have been 13,513 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,930 cases a day. The state said there have now been 10,028 (+1) deaths since the start of the outbreak.The delta variant of the virus is believed to be responsible for much of the spread in Missouri, especially in the southwestern and northern parts of the state. Officials also cite low vaccination rates, especially in rural areas.Throughout Missouri there are 16% of remaining ICU beds are available, 25% hospital beds available and 66% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 2,323 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state is 14.6%, according to the MDHSS. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November 2020.Through Aug. 13, the state said it has administered 5,520,480 vaccine doses, 3,073,836 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,635,196 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 50.1% of the population has received at least one dose and 42.9% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 93,721 doses in the past seven days for an average of 13,389 per day.An estimated 48.5% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 44.5%, Jackson County is at 47.1%, Clay County is at 38.9%, Cass County is at 39.7% and Platte County is at 35.6%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 46,603 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 38,171 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,819 cases in Clay County, 9,476 in Cass County and 3,870 in Platte County.SATURDAY7:30 p.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 600,321 on Saturday, which is an increase of 2,418 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 118,957 (+805) possible antigen cases to date.The state reported there have been 14,002 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 2,000 cases a day. The state said there have now been 10,027 (+20) deaths since the start of the outbreak.The delta variant of the virus is believed to be responsible for much of the spread in Missouri, especially in the southwestern and northern parts of the state. Officials also cite low vaccination rates, especially in rural areas.Throughout Missouri there are 15% of remaining ICU beds are available, 26% hospital beds available and 65% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 2,348 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state is 14.5%, according to the MDHSS. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November 2020.Through Aug. 12, the state said it has administered 5,520,480 vaccine doses, 3,073,836 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,635,196 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 50.1% of the population has received at least one dose and 42.9% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 95,109 doses in the past seven days for an average of 13,587 per day.An estimated 48.5% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 44.5%, Jackson County is at 47.1%, Clay County is at 38.9%, Cass County is at 39.7% and Platte County is at 35.6%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 46,452 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 38,022 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,780 cases in Clay County, 9,445 in Cass County and 3,854 in Platte County.FRIDAY 6 p.m. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said almost 500,000 residents entered the state’s vaccine incentive program. Officially, there were a total of 495,296 entries. The first drawing takes place Friday. READ MORE.4:05 p.m. — The Cass Regional Medical Center in Harrisonville said it is moving to limit visitors to the hospital because of the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community.The hospital said patients who are hospitalized or in the emergency department will not be allowed to have visitors at this time. READ MORE.1:30 p.m. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported Friday a statewide total of 347,928 (+2,991) COVID-19 cases since the outbreak started. In addition, KDHE reported 5,385 (+28) total deaths since the start of the outbreak.The state reported hospitalizations 12,151 (+82) since the start of the outbreak. The state also said there are 24% of ICU beds available and 79% of ventilators.The state also said it has vaccinated 1,463,008 people with one dose, 3,179,240 total doses of the vaccine have been administered. The state reports 50.2% of the population has been vaccinated with one dose and 43.3% have completed vaccination.[ KANSAS COVID-19 COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Johnson County is the county with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the outbreak with 66,044 cases. Sedgwick County is second with 62,589. Wyandotte County is third with 23,573 cases. Leavenworth County has 8,500 cases, Douglas County reports 9,871 and Miami County has 3,143.1:30 p.m. — Vaccine advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted on Friday to recommend an extra dose of COVID-19 vaccine for some immunocompromised people.The Food and Drug Administration gave emergency use authorization Thursday night for a third dose in certain patients who are likely to have had a poor immune response to two doses of either Pfizer’s or Moderna’s vaccine. There’s not enough data to discuss the possibility for an extra dose of Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot COVID-19 vaccine, the FDA said. READ MORE.10:30 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 597,903 on Friday, which is an increase of 2,213 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 118,152 (+729) possible antigen cases to date.The state reported there have been 13,940 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,991 cases a day. The state said there have now been 10,0007 (+5) deaths since the start of the outbreak.The delta variant of the virus is believed to be responsible for much of the spread in Missouri, especially in the southwestern and northern parts of the state. Officials also cite low vaccination rates, especially in rural areas.Throughout Missouri there are 15% of remaining ICU beds are available, 26% hospital beds available and 65% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 2,318 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state is 14.5%, according to the MDHSS. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November 2020.Through Aug. 12, the state said it has administered 5,502,787 vaccine doses, 3,064,647 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,626,333 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 49.9% of the population has received at least one dose and 42.8% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 94,324 doses in the past seven days for an average of 13,475 per day.An estimated 48.4% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 44.4%, Jackson County is at 46.9%, Clay County is at 38.8%, Cass County is at 39.6% and Platte County is at 35.4%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 46,241 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 37,866 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,737 cases in Clay County, 9,406 in Cass County and 3,835 in Platte County.THURSDAY8:45 p.m. — Smithville schools will require all students and staff to wear masks indoors.The school board approved the policy Thursday. The requirement starts Monday. The board said will review the COVID-19 mitigation strategy again in September.6:30 p.m. — The surge in COVID-19 cases is forcing a Kansas City theater to require audience members, performers and staff to be vaccinated.AEG Presents, which owns Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland, is requiring everyone at shows to be vaccinated starting Oct. 1. READ MORE.5 p.m. — Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas wants to extend the city’s indoor mask order. The current mask order is set to expire on Aug. 28. The mayor tweeted he’s just introduced legislation that would extend it through Sept. 23. READ MORE.11:20 a.m. — The University of Kansas Health System reported Thursday that it has 62 total COVID-19 patients. Health officials said 47 are active inpatients, including 19 in the intensive care unit, with 11 on ventilators. The hospital said 15 patients are in the recovery phase.10:30 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 595,690 on Thursday, which is an increase of 2,675 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 117,423 (+905) possible antigen cases to date.The state reported there have been 14,094 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 2,013 cases a day. The state said there have now been 10,0002 (+20) deaths since the start of the outbreak.The delta variant of the virus is believed to be responsible for much of the spread in Missouri, especially in the southwestern and northern parts of the state. Officials also cite low vaccination rates, especially in rural areas.Throughout Missouri there are 17% of remaining ICU beds are available, 29% hospital beds available and 65% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 2,268 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state is 14.7%, according to the MDHSS. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November 2020.Through Aug. 11, the state said it has administered 5,481,237 vaccine doses, 3,053,171 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,615,525 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 49.7% of the population has received at least one dose and 42.6% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 92,626 doses in the past seven days for an average of 13,232 per day.An estimated 48.2% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 44.3%, Jackson County is at 46.8%, Clay County is at 38.7%, Cass County is at 39.4% and Platte County is at 35.3%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 46,017 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 37,646 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,702 cases in Clay County, 9,343 in Cass County and 3,816 in Platte County.WEDNESDAY9 p.m. — The Clay County Board of Health approved a recommendation for universal masking at school districts and child care centers because of the COVID-19 surge. It is not a mandate. READ MORE.1:30 p.m. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported Wednesday a statewide total of 344,937 (+2,741) COVID-19 cases since the outbreak started. In addition, KDHE reported 5,357 (+35) total deaths since the start of the outbreak.The state reported hospitalizations 12,069 (+120) since the start of the outbreak. The state also said there are 30% of ICU beds available and 79% of ventilators.The state also said it has vaccinated 1,445,623 people, 3,126,400 total doses of the vaccine have been administered and 49.9% of the population has been vaccinated with one dose and 43% have completed vaccination.[ KANSAS COVID-19 COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Johnson County is the county with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the outbreak with 65,430 cases. Sedgwick County is second with 62,046. Wyandotte County is third with 23,326 cases. Leavenworth County has 8,402 cases, Douglas County reports 9,762 and Miami County has 3,118.9:55 a.m. — A COVID-19 vaccine clinic will be held Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon during the Community Services League Back to School Fair. It will be in the south parking lot of the Community of Christ Auditorium, 1101 W. Walnut Ave., Independence. The Pfizer two-dose vaccine will be provided. No registration is required. All are welcome. Residents do not need to be participating in the Back to School Fair and/or picking up school supplies to get the vaccine.8:45 a.m. — The University of Kansas Health System reported Wednesday that it has a total of 64 COVID-19 patients. Forty-six are “active” inpatients, including 19 in the intensive care unit, with 12 on ventilators. Hospital officials said 18 patients are in the “recovery” phase.8:30 a.m.– The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 593,015 on Wednesday, which is an increase of 3,282 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 116,518 (+931) possible antigen cases to date.The state reported there have been 14,112 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 2,016 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,982 (+12) deaths since the start of the outbreak. The delta variant of the virus is believed to be responsible for much of the spread in Missouri, especially in the southwestern and northern parts of the state. Officials also cite low vaccination rates, especially in rural areas.Throughout Missouri there are 18% of remaining ICU beds are available, 30% hospital beds available and 65% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 2,200 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state is 14.5%, according to the MDHSS. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November 2020.Through Aug. 9, the state said it has administered 5,442,108 vaccine doses, 3,033,545 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,594,476 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 49.4% of the population has received at least one dose and 42.3% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 89,808 doses in the past seven days for an average of 12,830 per day.An estimated 47.9% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 43.9%, Jackson County is at 46.5%, Clay County is at 38.5%, Cass County is at 39.2% and Platte County is at 35.1%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 45,722 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 37,464 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,640 cases in Clay County, 9,292 in Cass County and 3,794 in Platte County.TUESDAY10:10 p.m. — There was a split vote Tuesday night by the Kearney School Board on a universal masking recommendation. The board voted 3-3 with one abstention. A spokesman said the school district is working to clarify its next steps and will provide parents with an update as soon as possible.8:15 p.m. — The Independence School Board announced Tuesday new COVID-19 measures, requiring all students to wear face masks while inside district facilities.The updated COVID-19 protocol means that students 2 years old and older, as well as all adults, must wear face masks beginning Wednesday. READ MORE.6:30 p.m. — Only 35 of the more than 70,000 people who attended Garth Brooks’ concert in Kansas City on Saturday took advantage of a chance to get a COVID-19 vaccine, the Kansas City Health Department said.The mobile vaccination clinic operated for four hours in the Arrowhead parking lot before the concert, and fans were offered a chance to get upgraded floor seats to the concert if they were vaccinated. READ MORE.5:30 p.m. — Park University said it will require students and staff to wear masks while in campus buildings. The policy will remain in effect until Sept. 7, when the university will review and make any necessary revisions. READ MORE.4:20 p.m. — The University of Missouri-Kansas City will require COVID-19 vaccinations for all faculty, staff and students who work in clinical settings and have direct contact with patients as part of their UMKC work or training. The university said Tuesday that students and employees must meet the requirement by Oct. 1. READ MORE.8:30 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 589,733 on Tuesday, which is an increase of 1,754 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 115,587 (+642) possible antigen cases to date.The state reported there have been 13,160 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,880 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,970 (+142) deaths since the start of the outbreak. The large increase in deaths is due to the remediation of death certificates from prior months. 105 of those cases came in July, and 3 from June. The state said there have been 46 confirmed deaths in the past seven days.The delta variant of the virus is believed to be responsible for much of the spread in Missouri, especially in the southwestern and northern parts of the state. Officials also cite low vaccination rates, especially in rural areas.Throughout Missouri there are 17% of remaining ICU beds are available, 31% hospital beds available and 63% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,631 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state is 14.3%, according to the MDHSS. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November 2020.The state said it has administered 5,442,108 vaccine doses, 3,033,545 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,594,476 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 49.4% of the population has received at least one dose and 42.3% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 90,585 doses in the past seven days for an average of 12,941 per day.An estimated 47.9% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 43.9%, Jackson County is at 46.5%, Clay County is at 38.5%, Cass County is at 39.2% and Platte County is at 35.1%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 45,452 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 37,218 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,582 cases in Clay County, 9,227 in Cass County and 3,774 in Platte County.8 a.m. — The University of Kansas Health System said doctors are currently treating 43 active cases of COVID-19 at The University of Kansas Hospital. Of those 43 cases, 18 are in the ICU, with an age range of 3 to 93. MONDAY10 p.m. — The Leavenworth School Board voted 6-1 Monday to approve situational masking for grades K-12. This means that masks are required at all times in school district facilities and on school buses whenever three feet of social distancing is not possible for periods of 15 minutes or longer. READ MORE.9 p.m. — The Blue Valley School Board voted Monday to expand its mask policy for students in ninth through 12th grades for the school year. The board voted 6-1 to adopt the COVID-19 mitigation strategy. READ MORE.6:30 p.m. — Missouri health officials have issued a COVID-19 hotspot advisory for Cass and Jackson counties and the Kansas City area. Health officials said cases in Cass and Jackson counties and Kansas City are rising. Hospitals in the region are seeing resource strain from dramatically increased numbers of COVID-19 patients and hospitalizations. As a result, several hospitals in the region are at or near capacity. READ MORE.1:30 p.m. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported Monday a statewide total of 342,196 (+2,669) COVID-19 cases since the outbreak started.In addition, KDHE reported 5,322 (+23) total deaths since the start of the outbreak.The state reported hospitalizations 11,949 (+57) since the start of the outbreak. The state also said there are 34% of ICU beds available and 84% of ventilators.The state also said it has vaccinated 1,445,623 people, 3,126,400 total doses of the vaccine have been administered and 49.6% of the population has been vaccinated with one dose and 42.9% have completed vaccination.[ KANSAS COVID-19 COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Johnson County is the county with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the outbreak with 64,998 cases. Sedgwick County is second with 61,624. Wyandotte County is third with 23,106 cases. Leavenworth County has 8,295 cases, Douglas County reports 9,660 and Miami County has 3,087.8:30 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 587,979 on Monday, which is an increase of 1,119 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 114,945 (+203) possible antigen cases to date.The state reported there have been 13,110 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,873 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,828 (+0) deaths since the start of the outbreak and there have been 42 confirmed deaths in the past seven days.The delta variant of the virus is believed to be responsible for much of the spread in Missouri, especially in the southwestern and northern parts of the state. Officials also cite low vaccination rates, especially in rural areas.Throughout Missouri there are 16% of remaining ICU beds are available, 27% hospital beds available and 65% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 2,136 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state is 14.5%, according to the MDHSS. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November 2020.The state said it has administered 5,415,194 vaccine doses, 3,018,955 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,581,009 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 49.2% of the population has received at least one dose and 42.1% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 89,319 doses in the past seven days for an average of 12,760 per day.An estimated 47.7% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 43.7%, Jackson County is at 46.3%, Clay County is at 38.4%, Cass County is at 39% and Platte County is at 34.9%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 45,251 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 37,076 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,540 cases in Clay County, 9,165 in Cass County and 3,761 in Platte County.8 a.m. — Doctors with the University of Kansas Health System remain concerned with the number of patients in the hospital needing help with COVID-19.Officials said Monday morning that a total of 57 people are in the hospital receiving treatment for coronavirus. Of those 57 patients, 40 are considered to have active infections with 15 people in the ICU and 10 on a ventilator. The remaining 17 patients are considered to be in recovery. SUNDAY10:30 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 586,860 on Sunday, which is an increase of 1,335 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 114,742 (+433) possible antigen cases to date.The state reported there have been 13,944 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,992 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,828 (+1) deaths since the start of the outbreak and there have been 42 confirmed deaths in the past seven days.The delta variant of the virus is believed to be responsible for much of the spread in Missouri, especially in the southwestern and northern parts of the state. Officials also cite low vaccination rates, especially in rural areas.Throughout Missouri there are 15% of remaining ICU beds are available, 26% hospital beds available and 66% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 2,163 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state is 14.9%, according to the MDHSS. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November 2020.The state said it has administered 5,401,981 vaccine doses, 3,011,520 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,575,117 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 49.1% of the population has received at least one dose and 42% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 90,026 doses in the past seven days for an average of 12,861 per day.An estimated 47.6% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 43.6%, Jackson County is at 46.2%, Clay County is at 38.2%, Cass County is at 38.9% and Platte County is at 34.8%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 45,082 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 36,959 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,521 cases in Clay County, 9,142 in Cass County and 3,749 in Platte County.SATURDAY10:25 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 585,525 on Saturday, which is an increase of 2,110 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 114,309 (+655) possible antigen cases to date.The state reported there have been 14,483 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 2,069 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,827 (+8) deaths since the start of the outbreak and there have been 51 confirmed deaths in the past seven days. The delta variant of the virus is believed to be responsible for much of the spread in Missouri, especially in the southwestern and northern parts of the state. Officials also cite low vaccination rates, especially in rural areas.Throughout Missouri there are 16% of remaining ICU beds are available, 24% hospital beds available and 66% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 2,145 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state is 15%, according to the MDHSS. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November 2020.The state said it has administered 5,384,130 vaccine doses, 3,000,909 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,567,035 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 48.9% of the population has received at least one dose and 41.9% have completed vaccination. The state reported it had administered 89,958 doses in the past seven days for an average of 12,851 per day.An estimated 47.4% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 43.4%, Jackson County is at 46%, Clay County is at 38.1%, Cass County is at 38.8% and Platte County is at 34.7%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 44,905 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 36,811 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,488 cases in Clay County, 9,115 in Cass County and 3,746 in Platte County.FRIDAY4:45 p.m. — The Blue Springs School District said that students age 5 and older must wear masks inside district buildings starting Monday.The school district said that Jackson County’s health order requiring people to wear masks in indoor public places, regardless of vaccination status, does apply to the district. READ MORE.3 p.m. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported Friday a statewide total of 339,527 (+2,177) COVID-19 cases since the outbreak started.In addition, KDHE reported 5,299 (+13) total deaths since the start of the outbreak.The state reported hospitalizations 11,892 (+85) since the start of the outbreak. The state also said there are 31% of ICU beds available and 83% of ventilators.The state also said it has vaccinated 1,435,951 people, 3,083,807 total doses of the vaccine have been administered and 49.3% of the population has been vaccinated with one dose and 42.7% have completed vaccination.[ KANSAS COVID-19 COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Johnson County is the county with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the outbreak with 64,508 cases. Sedgwick County is second with 60,963. Wyandotte County is third with 22,892 cases. Leavenworth County has 8,207 cases, Douglas County reports 9,582 and Miami County has 3,070.1 p.m. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced Friday that specialized “ambulance strike teams” are on the way to the Kansas City area to help local hospitals and emergency transport groups amid a growing COVID-19 case surge.Parson said in a release that 30 ambulances and more than 60 trained personnel are scheduled to begin arriving in five different regions of the state Friday, and can start transporting patients as soon as Saturday. READ MORE. 12:30 p.m. — Officials with the University of Kansas announced an “important and hopefully short-lived step” to mitigate COVID-19 Friday, saying all students, faculty and staff will be required to wear masks while on campus.This indoor mask mandate is regardless of vaccination status and begins on Aug. 9.READ MORE. Noon — With case numbers not slowing down, chief medical officers from hospitals around the region are saying health care across Kansas City is “maxed out” because of the delta variant COVID surge.The alarming comments came during a news conference involving officials from more than 10 area hospitals and hospital systems Friday morning. The medical leaders said the surge is exploding in their hospital systems. READ MORE. 9 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 583,415 on Friday, which is an increase of 2,548 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 113,654 (+709) possible antigen cases to date.The state reported there have been 14,484 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 2,069 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,819 (+21) deaths since the start of the outbreak and there have been 56 confirmed deaths in the past seven days. The MDHSS said deaths are often reported with a significant delay.The delta variant of the virus is believed to be responsible for much of the spread in Missouri, especially in the southwestern and northern parts of the state. Officials also cite low vaccination rates, especially in rural areas.Throughout Missouri there are 16% of remaining ICU beds are available, 27% hospital beds available and 67% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 2,125 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state is 15%, according to the MDHSS. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November 2020.The state’s vaccination numbers were not updated as of Friday morning at 9 a.m.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 44,689 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 36,630 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,446 cases in Clay County, 9,076 in Cass County and 3,724 in Platte County.THURSDAY9:30 p.m. — The Wyandotte County Commission voted Thursday to require masks to be worn in indoor public spaces as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.The ordinance, which passed by an 8-2 vote, excludes schools and the cities of Bonner Springs and Edwardsville, allowing them to decide separately. READ MORE.8:40 p.m. — The Platte County Board of Trustees voted unanimously Thursday to recommend residents wear masks and they declined to issue a mask mandate.The trustees met in a special meeting specifically to decide the issue of wearing masks.The decision applies only to Platte County residents living outside of Kansas City, Missouri city limits.7:30 p.m. — Blue Valley Schools announced Thursday that it will require all early childhood and K-8 students, staff and visitors to wear masks inside school buildings beginning Aug. 9. READ MORE.7 p.m. — The Lee’s Summit R7 School Board voted Thursday to adopt universal masking for its students for the coming school year.The board voted unanimously to require all students pre-K through 12th grade to wear masks while indoors at district buildings. READ MORE.5:45 p.m. — The Shawnee Mission school board updated its COVID-19 protocols Thursday to require all students pre-K through 12th grade to wear masks.The board voted 6-1 to require masking of all children and adults in grades pre-K through 12th grade in all district facilities until further notice. READ MORE.2 p.m. — Officials with the Kansas City Zoo said the zoo will soon begin vaccinating some of its animals more susceptible to the virus against COVID-19.”Due to the COVID-19 variants now in our local area and their increased transmissibility, our veterinary team will soon begin the vaccination of some of our animals,” officials said in a release Thursday. Zoo officials said that species most susceptible to the virus will receive the vaccine, including the zoo’s great apes (chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas) and big cats (lions, tigers, cheetahs, leopards). READ MORE. 1:30 p.m. — The Johnson County Board of Commissioners met Thursday morning to discuss a mask order for the “most vulnerable” group of Johnson County citizens — young children.The order calls for all students in sixth grade down to pre-k, in both public and private school settings, to wear masks or face coverings to reduce the spread of COVID-19. After a lengthy debate with hours of public comment, that public health order passed the commission, 5-2.”This is a targeted health initiative focused on students who do not currently have access to the vaccine,” health officials said during the meeting. READ MORE. 11 a.m. — 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. In addition, health officials with Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City said it is also seeing an increase. READ MORE. 10:30 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 580,867 on Thursday, which is an increase of 3,058 confirmed cases – the second day in a row with more than 3,000 new cases. The state also reported there have been 112,945 (+888) possible antigen cases to date.The state reported there have been 14,339 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 2,048 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,798 (+21) deaths since the start of the outbreak and there have been 47 confirmed deaths in the past seven days. The MDHSS said deaths are often reported with a significant delay.The delta variant of the virus is believed to be responsible for much of the spread in Missouri, especially in the southwestern and northern parts of the state. Officials also cite low vaccination rates, especially in rural areas.Throughout Missouri there are 16% of remaining ICU beds are available, 29% hospital beds available and 67% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 2,092 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state rose to 15.2%, according to the MDHSS. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November 2020.The state said it has administered 5,369,076 vaccine doses, 2,991,709 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,560,680 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 48.7% of the population has received at least one dose and 41.7% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 91,932 doses in the past seven days for an average of 13,133 per day.An estimated 47.2% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 43.3%, Jackson County is at 45.9%, Clay County is at 38%, Cass County is at 38.7% and Platte County is at 34.6%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 44,443 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 36,421 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,412 cases in Clay County, 9,018 in Cass County and 3,697 in Platte County.WEDNESDAY3:45 p.m. — Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. announced Wednesday he will issue a public health order requiring universal mask-wearing indoors, for everyone age 5+, regardless of vaccination status. That order begins on Aug. 9. READ MORE.3 p.m. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported Wednesday a statewide total of 337,350 (+2,714) COVID-19 cases since the outbreak started.In addition, KDHE reported 5,286 (+20) total deaths since the start of the outbreak.The state reported hospitalizations 11,807 (+70) since the start of the outbreak. The state also said there are 32% of ICU beds available and 80% of ventilators.The state also said it has vaccinated 1,426,773 people, 2,573,807 total doses of the vaccine have been administered and 49% of the population has been vaccinated with one dose and 42.5% have completed vaccination.[ KANSAS COVID-19 COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Johnson County is the county with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases since the start of the outbreak with 64,077 cases. Sedgwick County is second with 60,608. Wyandotte County is third with 22,695 cases. Leavenworth County has 8,130 cases, Douglas County reports 9,524 and Miami County has 3,041.10:30 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 577,809 on Wednesday, which is an increase of 3,684 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 112,057 (+804) possible antigen cases to date.The state reported there have been 14,097 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 2,014 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,777 (+22) deaths since the start of the outbreak and there have been 36 confirmed deaths in the past seven days. The MDHSS said deaths are often reported with a significant delay.The delta variant of the virus is believed to be responsible for much of the spread in Missouri, especially in the southwestern and northern parts of the state. Officials also cite low vaccination rates, especially in rural areas.Throughout Missouri there are 17% of remaining ICU beds are available, 29% hospital beds available and 69% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 2,083 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state again climbed to 15%, according to the MDHSS. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November 2020.The state said it has administered 5,353,821 vaccine doses, 2,982,315 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,554,305 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 48.6% of the population has received at least one dose and 41.6% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 92,221 doses in the past seven days for an average of 13,174 per day.An estimated 47% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 43.1%, Jackson County is at 45.7%, Clay County is at 37.8%, Cass County is at 38.4% and Platte County is at 34.5%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 44,160 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 36,143 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,347 cases in Clay County, 8,952 in Cass County and 3,673 in Platte County.TUESDAY4 p.m. — Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced Tuesday that he has filed a lawsuit over Kansas City’s mask mandate that went into effect Monday.Schmitt said the lawsuit, which was filed in Jackson County, argues that the mask mandate imposed is unreasonable, unconstitutional, and arbitrary and capricious. READ MORE.2:15 p.m. — The city of Independence announced Tuesday that it has rescinded a public health order that took effect last Thursday.The change means that masks are no longer required but strongly encouraged at all city facilities including City Hall, Police Headquarters, Independence Utility Center, Sermon Center, Truman Memorial Building, Palmer Center, Independence Uptown Market, and the Cable Dahmer Arena. READ MORE.1:40 p.m. — There will be a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Morningstar’s Youth and Family Life Center located at 2525 E. 27th Street, Kansas City, MO on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for people who are 12 and older.12:55 p.m. — Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt is taking his fight to curb the power of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and local officials to impose COVID-19 restrictions in Kansas to the state’s highest court.Schmidt announced Tuesday that he has asked the Kansas Supreme Court to keep in place a law that limits Kelly’s power and local officials’ authority even though a Johnson County trial-court judge struck it down last month. READ MORE.11:15 a.m. — The Kansas City Public Library is partnering with KC CARE Health Center to increase access to the COVID-19 vaccine.Beginning Aug. 3, anyone in need of a COVID-19 vaccine can receive one from KC CARE Health Center at the following locations:Tuesdays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Plaza branch at 4801 Main St.Wednesdays, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Waldo branch at 201 E. 75thSt.Thursdays, Noon – 6 p.m.: North-East branch at 6000 Wilson Ave.Anyone hoping to get a vaccine can walk in to one of the Library clinics as long as supplies last. No registration is required.9:30 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 574,125 on Tuesday, which is an increase of 1,863 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 111,253 possible antigen cases to date.The state reported there have been 12,524 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,789 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,755 (+88) deaths since the start of the outbreak and there have been 33 confirmed deaths in the past seven days. The MDHSS said deaths are often reported with a significant delay.The delta variant of the virus is believed to be responsible for much of the spread in Missouri, especially in the southwestern and northern parts of the state. Officials also cite low vaccination rates, especially in rural areas.Throughout Missouri there are 16% of remaining ICU beds are available, 27% hospital beds available and 68% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 2,038 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state remained steady 14.7%, according to the MDHSS. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November 2020.The state said it has administered 5,336,817 vaccine doses, 2,972,240 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,546,801 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 48.4% of the population has received at least one dose and 41.5% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 90,978 doses in the past seven days for an average of 12,997 per day.An estimated 46.8% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 42.9%, Jackson County is at 45.6%, Clay County is at 37.7%, Cass County is at 38.3% and Platte County is at 34.4%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Individual city/county data points were unavailable Monday morning.[ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]The Associated Press contributed to this story.