Missouri reports 2,045 new cases on Saturday

Missouri reports 2,045 new cases on Saturday

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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 Wednesday the state has 330,932 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and there have been 5,247 deaths since the outbreak started. Overall, the state said 48% of the population has been vaccinated with at least one dose and 42% have completed vaccination. Kansas only updates its case totals on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said Saturday there have been 569,796 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the outbreak and 9,667 deaths. Overall, the state said 47.9% of the population has received at least one dose and 41.2% have completed vaccination.SATURDAY10:55 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 569,796 on Saturday, which is an increase of 2,045 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 109,785 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 733.This makes the fourth day in a row with the confirmed new cases over 2,000.The state reported there have been 13,193 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,885 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,667 (+17) deaths since the start of the outbreak and there have been 34 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, 25% hospital beds available and 70% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,916 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state climbed again to 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 July 29, he state said it has administered 5,284,847 vaccine doses, 2,939,713 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,526,145 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 47.9% of the population has received at least one dose and 41.2% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 90,038 doses in the past seven days for an average of 12,863 per day.An estimated 46.2% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 42.3%, Jackson County is at 45%, Clay County is at 37.1%, Cass County is at 37.8% and Platte County is at 33.9%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 43,307 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 35,463 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,189 cases in Clay County, 8,733 in Cass County and 3,615 in Platte County.FRIDAY10:30 a.m. — Officials with K-State have announced the return of an indoor mask mandate starting Monday. The mandate will apply on Kansas State’s main campus in Manhattan, its Polytechnic Campus in Salina and its satellite campus in Olathe. READ MORE. 10 a.m. — According to a plan released by the White House Thursday, federal workers will be required to sign forms attesting they’ve been vaccinated, or comply with strict rules like mandatory masking, weekly testing, and required social distancing in the office. With more than 28,000 employees in the KC-area, the federal government is Kansas City’s largest employer. READ MORE. 9:30 a.m. — More than a dozen high-risk Missouri residents who were vaccinated against COVID-19 were among those who died amid a surge of COVID-19 cases across southern Missouri. READ MORE. 9 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 567,751 on Friday, which is an increase of 3,550 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 109,052 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 1,387.It’s the third day in a row with the confirmed new cases over 2,000, and the first over 3,000 since earlier in the pandemic. The state reported there have been 13,266 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,895 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,650 (+12) deaths since the start of the outbreak and there have been 31 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, 27% hospital beds available and 70% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,921 hospitalizations associated with COVID.In the Kansas City area, the state said 409 patients are hospitalized with COVID, 28% of hospital beds are available, 21% of remaining ICU beds are available and 79% of ventilators are available.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state climbed again 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 5,284,847 vaccine doses, 2,939,713 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,526,145 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 47.9% of the population has received at least one dose and 41.2% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 90,985 doses in the past seven days for an average of 12,998 per day.An estimated 46.2% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 42.3%, Jackson County is at 45%, Clay County is at 37.1%, Cass County is at 37.8% and Platte County is at 33.9%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 43,099 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 35,279 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,155 cases in Clay County, 8,684 in Cass County and 3,600 in Platte County.THURSDAY9 p.m. — Wyandotte County commissioners were urged to reinstate mask mandates during a special meeting Thursday to discuss rising COVID-19 cases. READ MORE.2:15 p.m. — The North Kansas City School District announced Thursday masks will be required for all students, staff and visitors indoors at all schools. The district said in a news release the requirement includes all individuals, including those who have received the vaccine. READ MORE1 p.m. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has amended its travel quarantine list to include the countries of the Botswana, Cuba, Gibraltar, Isle of Man and Martinique. The countries of Argentina, Colombia, Kuwait, Mongolia, Namibia, Seychelles and Tunisia have been removed. These changes are effective today, July 29.Traveled on or after July 29 to Botswana, Cuba, Gibraltar, Isle of Man or Martinique. Traveled on or after July 15 to British Virgin Islands, Cyprus, Fiji, Jersey or The United Kingdom. Traveled between July 15 and July 29 to Tunisia. Traveled between July 1 – July 29 to Namibia. Traveled between June 17 – July 29 to Kuwait or Mongolia. Traveled between June 3 – July 29 to Traveled between May 6 – July 29 to Seychelles. Traveled between April 22 – July 29 to Argentina. Attendance at any out-of-state mass gatherings of 500 or more where individuals do not socially distance (6 feet) and wear a mask. Been on a cruise ship or river cruise on or after March 15, 2020.The travel quarantine period is seven days with a negative test result or 10 days without testing, with release from quarantine on Day 8 and Day 11, respectively. Further information on quarantine periods can be found on KDHE’s website.Noon — Students, staff and visitors on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia, Missouri, will again be required to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status.University officials announced Thursday that the University of Missouri system is taking additional precautions to stem COVID-19 cases as parts of the state see a surge in case numbers.Also part of the University of Missouri system, UMKC will also be requiring masks in indoor settings starting Aug. 2. UMKC officials said the requirement will remain in place until at least Sept. 15, when the policy will be reevaluated. READ MORE8 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 564,201 on Thursday, which is an increase of 2,262 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 107,665 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 720.It’s the second day in a row with the confirmed new cases over 2,000.The state reported there have been 11,873 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,696 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,638 (+4) deaths since the start of the outbreak and there have been 32 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 18% 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 1,828 hospitalizations associated with COVID.In the Kansas City area, the state said 392 patients are hospitalized with COVID, 32% of hospital beds are available, 21% of remaining ICU beds are available and 81% of ventilators are available.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state climbed slightly to 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 5,252,329 vaccine doses, 2,918,018 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,513,969 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 47.5% of the population has received at least one dose and 41% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 87,686 doses in the past seven days for an average of 12,527 per day.An estimated 45.6% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 41.8%, Jackson County is at 44.5%, Clay County is at 36.7%, Cass County is at 37.3% and Platte County is at 33.6%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 42,799 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,952 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,094 cases in Clay County, 8,601 in Cass County and 3,568 in Platte County.[ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]TUESDAY8 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 564,201 on Thursday, which is an increase of 2,262 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 107,665 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 720.It’s the second day in a row with the confirmed new cases over 2,000.The state reported there have been 11,873 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,696 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,638 (+4) deaths since the start of the outbreak and there have been 32 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 18% 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 1,828 hospitalizations associated with COVID.In the Kansas City area, the state said 392 patients are hospitalized with COVID, 32% of hospital beds are available, 21% of remaining ICU beds are available and 81% of ventilators are available.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state climbed slightly to 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 5,252,329 vaccine doses, 2,918,018 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,513,969 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 47.5% of the population has received at least one dose and 41% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 87,686 doses in the past seven days for an average of 12,527 per day.An estimated 45.6% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 41.8%, Jackson County is at 44.5%, Clay County is at 36.7%, Cass County is at 37.3% and Platte County is at 33.6%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 42,799 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,952 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,094 cases in Clay County, 8,601 in Cass County and 3,568 in Platte County.WEDNESDAY5:15 p.m. — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced that starting Monday, state employees, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear masks in state buildings.The governor made the announcement Wednesday during a media briefing, citing the state’s rising cases of COVID-19 cases and calling it a “mostly self-inflicted problem.”The order also applies to visitors entering state buildings or facilities. READ MORE.3:15 p.m. — The City of Independence announced that beginning on Thursday masks will be required in 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.Exceptions to this mask requirement include:Minors below the age of 5 Individuals who have disabilities for which masks constitute a substantial impairment to their health and well-being based upon medical, behavioral, or legal direction and for whom an accommodation cannot be made to allow the business to be conducted remotely, curbside, or outdoors; and Individuals who are actively engaged in consuming food or drink while remaining seated. Professional athletes actively engaged in high-intensity, organized gameplay. Masks are required at all other times in gyms and fitness facilities without further exception. 3 p.m. — A central Kansas school district is requiring masks in its buildings and public health officials in two of the state’s most populous counties are recommending that even vaccinated residents wear masks in at least some indoor public spaces. The developments in the Salina school district and Shawnee and Douglas counties in northeast Kansas came quickly after a surge in new COVID-19 cases tied to the faster-spreading delta variant prompted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to change its guidance on masks. Also, Gov. Laura Kelly scheduled a Wednesday afternoon news conference at the Statehouse to discuss the new CDC guidance. 1:15 p.m. — Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas was asked about low vaccination rates in the Show-Me State.1 p.m. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported an increase of 2,177 cases of COVID-19 in its first update since Monday, pushing the statewide total to 330,932 since the outbreak started.In addition, KDHE reported four new deaths, making the total since the start of the outbreak 5,247.The state reported hospitalizations increased by 76 to 11,617 since the start of the outbreak. The state also said there are 40% of ICU beds available and 85% of ventilators.The state also said it is tracking 188 (+12) cases of the delta variant in Johnson County, 119 (+11) in Wyandotte County, 30 (+2) in Leavenworth County, 28 (+8) in Douglas County and 12 (+2) in Miami County.Health officials said they’re now monitoring 108 outbreak clusters, up from 108 earlier this month. A total of 1,134 cases have been attributed to these clusters with 47 hospitalizations and 17 deaths.The overall monthly positivity is up to 8.6% for July 2021 to date. However, that number is down from a high of 16.5% in November.The state also said it has vaccinated 1,397,885 people, 2,532,701 total doses of the vaccine have been administered and 48% of the population has been vaccinated with one dose and 42% 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 62,675 cases. Sedgwick County is second with 59,650. Wyandotte County is third with 22,146 cases. Leavenworth County has 7,859 cases, Douglas County reports 9,306 and Miami County has 2,969.11:20 a.m. — Masks are back in Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas officially introduced a new indoor mask mandate for the city on Wednesday, less than two months after the original order expired at the end of May. READ MORE10:25 a.m. — Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said he plans to file a lawsuit against Kansas City for its plans to reinstate a mask mandate for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. A spokesperson for Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said the mayor will introduce a new indoor mask mandate for the city on Wednesday. Official details of the plan have yet to be released as of 10:15 a.m. Wednesday. READ MORE9:45 a.m. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson criticized the decision by the CDC to suggest a return to masking. He called the CDC’s decision “disappointing and concerning.”“It’s disappointing because it is inconsistent with the overwhelming evidence surrounding the efficacy of the vaccines and their proven results, and it only serves to disrupt the increases we are seeing in vaccine uptake,” Parson said. “This self-inflicted setback encourages skepticism and vaccine hesitancy at a time when the goal is to prevent serious illnesses and deaths from COVID-19 through vaccination. “It’s concerning because the nation’s top public health agency appears to be cowering to the political pressures of those who only want to force mandates and shutdowns, which only further prolong the recovery we as a nation are working towards. This decision only promotes fear and further division among our citizens.”8 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 561,939 on Wednesday, which is an increase of 2,161 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 107,665 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 787.The state reported there have been 11,720 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,674 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,638 (+16) 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, 29% hospital beds available and 70% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,727 hospitalizations associated with COVID.In the Kansas City area, the state said 344 patients are hospitalized with COVID, 31% of hospital beds are available, 20% of remaining ICU beds are available and 80% of ventilators are available.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state dropped slightly to 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 5,236,987 vaccine doses, 2,907,355 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,508,729 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 47.4% of the population has received at least one dose and 40.9% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 86,637 doses in the past seven days for an average of 12,377 per day.An estimated 45.6% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 41.8%, Jackson County is at 44.5%, Clay County is at 36.7%, Cass County is at 37.3% and Platte County is at 33.6%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 42,632 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,814 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,070 cases in Clay County, 8,555 in Cass County and 3,554 in Platte County. [ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]TUESDAY9 p.m. — A spokesperson for Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said the mayor will introduce a new indoor mask mandate for the city on Wednesday. Lucas is expected to provide details for Kansas City’s new mask mandate during Wednesday morning’s CORE 4 call with other metro leaders. READ MORE4:15 p.m. — Jackson County Executive Frank White announced Tuesday a new health care mandate that requires all full-time and part-time county staff to show proof of full vaccination or receive weekly COVID-19 testing. White said the new policy takes effect on Sept. 30. READ MORE12:15 p.m. — As COVID-19 hospitalizations climb, St. Louis is offering incentives for some city employees to get immunized, while thousands are registering for a statewide vaccine lottery.St. Louis said in a news release Tuesday that nearly 6,000 of its workers will be eligible to receive $100 in gift cards and can use paid time off to get vaccinated. The announcement comes one day after a mask mandate took effect in the city and St. Louis County.Missouri has the nation’s fourth-worst COVID-19 diagnosis rate over the past week, with one in every 360 people diagnosed with COVID-19.“Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 remains the best way for St. Louisans to protect their families and greatly reduce their chance of ending up in the ICU, and we are using many different tools in our toolbox to encourage vaccination,” said St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones in the release. Statewide, COVID-19 hospitalization jumped by 168% from a low point of 628 of May 23 to 1,684 on Aug. 24, state data shows. But the jump was much sharper in sparsely vaccinated southwest Missouri, where the number of hospitalizations leapt by 443% and reached pandemic highs. To help, the state rolled out a vaccine incentive program last week that includes $10,000 prizes for 900 lottery winners. About 250,000 people have registered so far, said health department spokeswoman Lisa Cox.Only 47.4% of Missourians have received at least one dose of the vaccine, compared with 56.8% nationally, state and federal data shows. The rate is far lower for younger residents, with just 26.5% of 12- to 14-year-olds and 36.5% of 15- to 24-year-olds getting at least one dose.Hospital officials in Springfield have been begging on social media for people to get vaccinated.Erik Frederick, chief administrative officer of Mercy Springfield, retweeted a message Monday night from a COVID-19 nurse who wrote that the situation was “getting worse” and that there was “no end in sight.”Rising cases also are putting a strain on contact tracers in St. Joseph in northwest Missouri, said Connie Werner, health department clinic coordinator. The vaccination rate in surrounding Buchanan County is just 22.3%. “It’s not that the vaccine isn’t available, and it’s not that there’s not multiple opportunities and multiple times for people to get it, it’s just that they’re not going to get it,” Werner told the St. Joseph News-Press. “It does take the community to have accountability as well, instead of us walking up to you and begging you to take it.”10:20 a.m. — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to update its guidelines on Tuesday to urge vaccinated people in certain areas of the country to resume wearing masks because of COVID-19. READ MORE8:30 a.m. — As coronavirus cases climb, Kansas City area local health experts are pushing back on criticism of mask-wearing.Missouri Gov. Mike Parson chastised leaders in St. Louis for putting mask rules in place again – tweeting “dictating mask mandates when we have the vaccine is ignoring the real solution and eroding public trust.” Doctors with the University of Kansas Health System say the proof is in the numbers.”A whole lot of Missourians aren’t vaccinated yet,” Dr. Steve Stites said. “So, we may have the vaccine, but if it’s it in the pharmacy and not in your arm, well then you don’t have the vaccine. Right? And so I think that’s the first problem. The second thing is, even if you’ve been vaccinated, you can still spread the delta variant.”Doctors recommend everyone mask in indoor public spaces to curb the spread and prevent new variants from forming.8 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 559,778 on Tuesday, which is an increase of 1,777 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 106,878 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 637.The state reported there have been 11,329 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,678 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,622 (+64) deaths since the start of the outbreak. The state said 46 of those new deaths are attributed to a review of death certificates.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.There are 16% of remaining ICU beds available, 28% hospital beds available and 70% of ventilators available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,684 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state remains as 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 5,225,074 vaccine doses, 2,898,600 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,505,036 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 47.2% of the population has received at least one dose and 40.8% have completed vaccination.The state reported it had administered 84,813 doses in the past seven days for an average of 12,116 per day.An estimated 45.5% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 41.6%, Jackson County is at 44.4%, Clay County is at 36.6%, Cass County is at 37.2% and Platte County is at 33.6%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 42,434 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,679 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,029 cases in Clay County, 8,522 in Cass County and 3,540 in Platte County.[ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]MONDAY2 p.m. — Truman Medical Centers/University Health is the first local hospital system to step forward and require all staff members be vaccinated for COVID-19.In an announcement Monday afternoon, hospital officials said staff members will be required to be vaccinated by Sept. 20. READ MORE1:45 p.m. — The Department of Veterans Affairs will require many of its frontline health workers to be vaccinated, the agency announced on Monday, making it the first area of the federal government to require shots among some of its workers. READ MORE. 1:30 p.m. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported an increase of 1,488 cases of COVID-19 in its first update since Friday, pushing the statewide total to 328,755 since the outbreak started.In addition, KDHE reported 4 new deaths, making the total since the start of the outbreak 5,243. The state reported hospitalizations increased by 30 to 11,541 since the start of the outbreak. The state also said there are 40% of ICU beds available and 85% of ventilators.The state also said it is tracking 188 (+0) cases of the delta variant in Johnson County, 108 (+23) in Wyandotte County, 28 (+0) in Leavenworth County, 20 (+0) in Douglas County and 10 (+0) in Miami County.Health officials said they’re now monitoring 71 outbreak clusters, up from 45 earlier this month. A total of 739 cases have been attributed to these clusters with 34 hospitalizations and 14 deaths.The overall monthly positivity is up to 8.3% for July 2021 to date. However, that number is down from a high of 16.5% in November.The state also said it has vaccinated 1,391,326 people, 2,523,820 total doses of the vaccine have been administered and 47.8% of the population has been vaccinated with one dose and 41.9% 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 62,244 cases. Sedgwick County is second with 59,410. Wyandotte County is third with 21,995 cases. Leavenworth County has 7,757 cases, Douglas County reports 9,242 and Miami County has 2,956.11 a.m. — CoxHealth CEO Steve Edwards said on Monday that from Friday through Sunday, 15 patients died from COVID-19 at the hospital in Springfield, Missouri. Edwards said so far in July, Cox has lost 72 patients from COVID-19, and he reported all the victims were unvaccinated. READ MORE10 a.m. — Mask mandates took effect again in the St. Louis area Monday amid a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases spurred by the delta variant. Masks now are mandatory in indoor public places and on public transportation in St. Louis city and St. Louis County for everyone age 5 or older – even for those who are vaccinated.It’s a decision that Missouri Gov. Mike Parson disagrees with.“From the very beginning of this pandemic, we have recognized the importance of local control,” he said. “However, re-imposing mask mandates regardless of vaccination status is WRONG and goes against current CDC guidelines.”9:05 a.m. — Leaders in the Shawnee Mission School District in Kansas are sitting down Monday night to discuss rules regarding COVID-19 for the upcoming school year. At the heart of the options under consideration — should masks be worn inside schools? READ MORE9 a.m. — With weeks to go until the start of school, many districts are weighing their health and safety options.So far, only one large district in our area – Kansas City Kansas Public Schools – has decided masks will be mandatory.Doctor Kenny Southwick with the Cooperating School Districts of Greater Kansas City says vaccines are the No. 1 tool in the fight against the virus, and he urges parents – to get eligible kids their shots now.”Don’t wait till the last minute like you sometimes do with other vaccines,” he said. “Now is the window of time to get your children vaccinated so they can go back to school and they have the greatest opportunity to be safe and stay in school.”Doctors point out families are likely behind on vaccinations because only the Pfizer vaccine is available for kids. The two-shot course would take a minimum of five weeks before kids are considered fully vaccinated.8 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 558,001 on Monday, which is an increase of 892 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 106,241 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 223.The state reported there have been 10,990 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,570 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,558 (+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.There are 16% of remaining ICU beds available, 25% hospital beds available and 70% of ventilators available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,682 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state remains as 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 5,217,174 vaccine doses, 2,893,237 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,502,467 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 47.1% of the population has received at least one dose and 40.8% have completed vaccination.An estimated 45.4% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Jackson County is at 44.3%, Clay County is at 36.5%, Cass County is at 37.1% and Platte County is at 33.5%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 42,246 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,579 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 8,994 cases in Clay County, 8,477 in Cass County and 3,527 in Platte County. 6 a.m. — The new mask mandate in the city and county of St. Louis that takes effect this week is being criticized by several state and local elected officials.Starting Monday, masks will be mandatory in indoor public places and on public transportation for everyone age 5 or older, even for those who are vaccinated, officials said in a news release on Friday. Wearing masks outdoors will be encouraged, especially in group settings.The politicians opposing the renewed mask mandate include Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and St. Louis County Councilmen Tim Fitch and Mark Harder, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.Schmitt, who is running for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate, said he plans to file a lawsuit on Monday to block the city and county from enforcing the renewed mandate.“If the last six months have taught us anything it’s that when it comes to expansive, authoritative executive action we have to fight back with everything we’ve got – all the time,” he said on Twitter on Saturday. “Wherever we see it – fight the fight. Our freedoms are on the line.”St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones on Saturday responded to Schmitt on Twitter: “Our top priority is protecting the health, safety, and wellbeing of the people of St. Louis City and County. Nobody is surprised that the Attorney General plans to file yet another frivolous lawsuit to serve his own political ambitions.”Fitch and Harder said they may ask the County Council to rescind the new mask mandate.[ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]SUNDAY8 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 557,109 on Sunday, which is an increase of 1,253 confirmed cases. The state has reported more than 1,000 new confirmed cases in seven out of the last eight days.The state also reported there have been 106,018 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 367.The state reported there have been 11,499 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,642 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,557 (+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.There are 17% of remaining ICU beds available, 26% hospital beds available and 70% of ventilators available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,682 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state fell slightly to 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 5,203,948 vaccine doses, 2,884,088 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,498,225 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 47% of the population has received at least one dose and 40.7% have completed vaccination.An estimated 45.3% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Jackson County is at 44.1%, Clay County is at 36.3%, Cass County is at 36.9% and Platte County is at 33.3%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 42,169 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,501 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 8,986 cases in Clay County, 8,475 in Cass County and 3,521 in Platte County. [ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]SATURDAY9 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 555,856 on Saturday, which is an increase of 2,220 confirmed cases. It’s the fourth straight day with more than 2,000 confirmed new cases.The state also reported there have been 105,651 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 686.The state reported there have been 11,536 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,648 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,557 (+8) 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.That same variant has been found in Kansas City-area wastewater treatment facilities, and 10 Kansas City-area health departments issued a joint public health advisory on COVID-19 last Friday, recommending that unvaccinated residents wear face coverings.There are 17% of remaining ICU beds available, 25% hospital beds available and 70% of ventilators available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,700 (+68) hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state grew to 14.8%, according to the MDHSS. That number is the highest since Dec. 25, 2020. 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 5,188,346 vaccine doses, 2,873,608 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,492,613 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 46.8% of the population has received at least one dose and 40.6% have completed vaccination.An estimated 45.1% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Jackson County is at 44%, Clay County is at 36.2%, Cass County is at 36.8% and Platte County is at 33.2%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 42,025 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,398 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 8,971 cases in Clay County, 8,461 in Cass County and 3,520 in Platte County. [ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]FRIDAY7:30 p.m. — Metropolitan Community College said Friday that it will give up to 1,000 fully vaccinated people a free MCC class for the fall 2021 semester. This includes current students as well as prospective students. READ MORE.5:30 p.m. — The University of Kansas announced Friday that basketball coach Bill Self has tested positive for COVID-19.”I was excited to get back on the road today to see some recruits at various tournaments this weekend, but I tested positive for COVID-19 and am in isolation,” Self said in a statement. “Yesterday afternoon I started having some minor symptoms and wanted to get tested before traveling and being around these young men. That’s when I learned my results came back positive, and a second test today confirmed that. I am fully vaccinated and feeling pretty good right now.” READ MORE.4:15 p.m. — Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas issued a statement after St. Louis and St. Louis County announced Friday that masks will be required in some public places starting Monday.St. Louis officials cited a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases because of the delta variant.Lucas called for COVID-safe practices in the following statement:“Since the beginning of the pandemic, I have been proud of Kansas City’s decisive leadership, which saved lives, and Kansas City government will continue to act in the best interest of the health and safety of our community.” READ MORE3:10 p.m. — St. Louis city and county officials say they will require masks in some public places starting Monday., citing a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases spurred by the delta variant.Masks will be mandatory in indoor public places and on public transportation for everyone age 5 or older, even for those who are vaccinated, officials said in a news release on Friday. Masking outdoors “will be strongly encouraged,” especially in group settings. READ MORE.1:30 p.m. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported an increase of 1,539 cases of COVID-19 in its first update since Wednesday, pushing the statewide total to 327,267 since the outbreak started.It was the second report in a row with more than 1,500 new cases.In addition, KDHE reported 21 new deaths, making the total since the start of the outbreak 5,239. It was also the second straight report with more than 20 new deaths attributed to COVID-19.The state reported hospitalizations increased by 66 to 11,511 since the start of the outbreak. The state also said there are 39% of ICU beds available and 85% of ventilators available with 381 patients hospitalized with COVID-19.The state also said it is tracking 188 (+48) cases of the delta variant in Johnson County, 85 (+14) in Wyandotte County, 28 (+5) in Leavenworth County, 20 (+1) in Douglas County and 10 (+2) in Miami County.Health officials said they’re now monitoring 71 outbreak clusters, up from 45 earlier this month. A total of 739 cases have been attributed to these clusters with 34 hospitalizations and 14 deaths.The overall monthly positivity is up to 8.1% for July 2021 to date. However, that number is down from a high of 16.5% in November.The state also said it has vaccinated 1,381,773 people, 2,510,419 total doses of the vaccine have been administered and 47.4% of the population has been vaccinated with one dose and 41.8% 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 61,987 cases. Sedgwick County is second with 59,200. Wyandotte County is third with 21,846 cases. Leavenworth County has 7,675 cases, Douglas County reports 9,185 and Miami County has 2,939.9 a.m. — The University of Kansas Health System’s chief medical officer says he and several other leaders at other hospitals agree – mask mandates should come back to prevent serious illnesses and COVID-19 deaths. But Dr. Steve Stites says he doesn’t know if local leaders will heed the warning.”Things are going to get worse and worse and worse, and they’re going to be forced to do it,” Stites said. “I’d like to do a little prevention, so we don’t keep things that bad, because I’m afraid of what’s going to happen with our hospitals. I don’t want to see us end up in Springfield. “Stites says if you’re vaccinated around other people you know are vaccinated, you’re probably fine and don’t need to mask up. But if you have any doubts, he recommends putting one on to curb the spread of the virus.KU reported it is treating 56 total COVID-19 patients with 33 of the cases considered active, including 12 in the ICU and seven on a ventilator.8 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 553,636 on Friday, which is an increase of 2,027 confirmed cases. It’s the third straight day with more than 2,000 confirmed new cases.The state also reported there have been 104,965 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 838.The state reported there have been 10,685 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,526 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,549 (+15) 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.That same variant has been found in Kansas City-area wastewater treatment facilities, and 10 Kansas City-area health departments issued a joint public health advisory on COVID-19 last Friday, recommending that unvaccinated residents wear face coverings.There are 16% of remaining ICU beds available, 27% hospital beds available and 71% of ventilators available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,632 (+100) hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state remained at 14.4%, according to the MDHSS. That number is the highest since Jan. 11. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November.The state said it has administered 5,170,991 vaccine doses, 2,862,909 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,485,410 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 46.6% of the population has received at least one dose and 40.5% have completed vaccination.An estimated 44.8% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Jackson County is at 43%, Clay County is at 36.1%, Cass County is at 36.5% and Platte County is at 31.2%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 41,855 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,252 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 8,938 cases in Clay County, 8,404 in Cass County and 3,511 in Platte County.[ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]THURSDAY5:45 p.m. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said more personnel and equipment are heading to Springfield and Greene County to help in the fight against COVID-19 and support the area’s health care system. READ MORE.12:15 p.m. — Missouri health leaders said people are attempting to “undermine” the state’s new incentive program to get more people vaccinated.Starting in July, the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services will partner with the Missouri Lottery to draw 180 winners in five randomized drawings who will win either $10,000 cash or $10,000 towards an education savings account. In total, the state will award 900 individuals throughout the incentive program.Missourians must register for a chance to win through a secure online form that is found on the “Be a Mo VIP Winner” website. The state said it will not be pulling vaccination records for automatic enrollment into the program.8:30 a.m. — Doctors with the University of Kansas Health System continue to raise concern about rising case counts in their hospitals and in the Kansas City metro area.As of Thursday, there are 33 active cases with 12 patients in the ICU, six on a ventilator and 30 of the hospitalized cases were not vaccinated.“The storm is here,” Dr. Steve Stites said. “Take shelter from the storm. Now we’re at the epicenter.”8 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 551,609 on Thursday, which is an increase of 2,418 confirmed cases. It’s the second straight day with more than 2,200 confirmed new cases and the highest total since Jan. 7.The state also reported there have been 104,127 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 928.The state reported there have been 10,367 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,481 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,534 (+8) 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.That same variant has been found in Kansas City-area wastewater treatment facilities, and 10 Kansas City-area health departments issued a joint public health advisory on COVID-19 last Friday, recommending that unvaccinated residents wear face coverings.There are 19% of remaining ICU beds available, 30% hospital beds available and 72% of ventilators available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,532 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state climbed to 14.4%, according to the MDHSS. That number is the highest since Jan. 11. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November.The state said it has administered 5,155,046 vaccine doses, 2,852,499 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,479,168 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 46.5% of the population has received at least one dose and 40.4% have completed vaccination.An estimated 44.8% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Jackson County is at 43%, Clay County is at 36.1%, Cass County is at 36.5% and Platte County is at 31.2%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 41,674 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,153 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 8,910 cases in Clay County, 8,353 in Cass County and 3,505 in Platte County.[ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]WEDNESDAY9 p.m. — The Kansas City school board met Wednesday to talk about the district’s back-to-school plan. The Kansas City Health Department is recommending universal masking to protect students and staff from COVID-19. Board members said they will monitor COVID-19 cases and tell families what they’ve decided in early August.3:05 p.m. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced a new set of COVID-19 vaccine incentives Wednesday that gives people that are vaccinated a shot at winning $10,000.Parson’s office unveiled perks for getting vaccinated at a press conference in his Capitol office. The new program called “Be a Mo VIP Winner” rewards those who have chosen to receive or will choose to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. READ MORE2 p.m. — Missouri’s Republican Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday is set to announce COVID-19 vaccine incentives. Parson’s office said he’ll unveil perks for getting vaccinated at a Wednesday press conference in his Capitol office. He’s also expected to announce the new state health department director. READ MORE12:30 p.m. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported an increase of 1,541 cases of COVID-19 in its first update since Monday, pushing the statewide total to 325,728 since the outbreak started.KDHE reported 20 new deaths, making the total since the start of the outbreak 5,218. The state reported hospitalizations increased by 81 to 11,445 since the start of the outbreak.The state also said there are 39% of ICU beds available and 85% of ventilators available with 381 patients hospitalized with COVID-19.The state also said it is tracking 140 (+15) cases of the delta variant in Johnson County, 85 (+8) in Wyandotte County, 23 (+4) in Leavenworth County, 19 (+6) in Douglas County and eight (+4) in Miami County.Health officials said they’re now monitoring 71 (+20) outbreak clusters, up from 45 earlier this month. A total of 739 cases have been attributed to these clusters with 34 hospitalizations and 14 deaths.State health officials are now also tracking MIS-C cases in the state, or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children, associated with COVID-19. So far, the state notes 17 cases.The overall monthly positivity is up to 7.8% for July 2021 to date. However, that number is down from a high of 16.5% in November.The state also said it has vaccinated 1,326,134 people, 2,410,047 total doses of the vaccine have been administered and 45.5% of the population has been vaccinated with one dose and 40.1% 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 61,655 cases. Sedgwick County is second with 58,979. Wyandotte County is third with 21,688 cases. Leavenworth County has 7,618 cases, Douglas County reports 9,128 and Miami County has 2,926.8 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 549,191 on Wednesday, which is an increase of 2,229 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 103,199 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 766.The state reported there have been 9,728 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,390 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,526 (+8) 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.That same variant has been found in Kansas City-area wastewater treatment facilities, and 10 Kansas City-area health departments issued a joint public health advisory on COVID-19 last Friday, recommending that unvaccinated residents wear face coverings.There are 19% of remaining ICU beds available, 31% hospital beds available and 71% of ventilators available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,485 hospitalizations associated with COVID.The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state climbed to 14.2%, according to the MDHSS. That number is the highest since Jan. 11.That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November.The state said it has administered 5,138,769 vaccine doses, 2,841,632 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,473,110 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 46.1% of the population has received at least one dose and 40.2% have completed vaccination.An estimated 44.6% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Jackson County is at 42.8%, Clay County is at 35.9%, Cass County is at 36.5% and Platte County is at 31.1%.[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 41,524 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,010 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 8,884 cases in Clay County, 8,312 in Cass County and 3,496 in Platte County.[ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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 Wednesday the state has 330,932 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and there have been 5,247 deaths since the outbreak started. Overall, the state said 48% of the population has been vaccinated with at least one dose and 42% have completed vaccination. Kansas only updates its case totals on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
  • The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said Saturday there have been 569,796 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the outbreak and 9,667 deaths. Overall, the state said 47.9% of the population has received at least one dose and 41.2% have completed vaccination.

SATURDAY

10:55 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 569,796 on Saturday, which is an increase of 2,045 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 109,785 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 733.

This makes the fourth day in a row with the confirmed new cases over 2,000.

The state reported there have been 13,193 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,885 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,667 (+17) deaths since the start of the outbreak and there have been 34 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, 25% hospital beds available and 70% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,916 hospitalizations associated with COVID.

The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state climbed again to 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 July 29, he state said it has administered 5,284,847 vaccine doses, 2,939,713 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,526,145 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 47.9% of the population has received at least one dose and 41.2% have completed vaccination.

The state reported it had administered 90,038 doses in the past seven days for an average of 12,863 per day.

An estimated 46.2% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 42.3%, Jackson County is at 45%, Clay County is at 37.1%, Cass County is at 37.8% and Platte County is at 33.9%.

[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]

Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.

Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 43,307 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 35,463 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,189 cases in Clay County, 8,733 in Cass County and 3,615 in Platte County.

FRIDAY

10:30 a.m. — Officials with K-State have announced the return of an indoor mask mandate starting Monday. The mandate will apply on Kansas State’s main campus in Manhattan, its Polytechnic Campus in Salina and its satellite campus in Olathe. READ MORE.

10 a.m.According to a plan released by the White House Thursday, federal workers will be required to sign forms attesting they’ve been vaccinated, or comply with strict rules like mandatory masking, weekly testing, and required social distancing in the office. With more than 28,000 employees in the KC-area, the federal government is Kansas City’s largest employer. READ MORE.

9:30 a.m. — More than a dozen high-risk Missouri residents who were vaccinated against COVID-19 were among those who died amid a surge of COVID-19 cases across southern Missouri. READ MORE.

9 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 567,751 on Friday, which is an increase of 3,550 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 109,052 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 1,387.

It’s the third day in a row with the confirmed new cases over 2,000, and the first over 3,000 since earlier in the pandemic.

The state reported there have been 13,266 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,895 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,650 (+12) deaths since the start of the outbreak and there have been 31 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, 27% hospital beds available and 70% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,921 hospitalizations associated with COVID.

In the Kansas City area, the state said 409 patients are hospitalized with COVID, 28% of hospital beds are available, 21% of remaining ICU beds are available and 79% of ventilators are available.

The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state climbed again 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 5,284,847 vaccine doses, 2,939,713 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,526,145 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 47.9% of the population has received at least one dose and 41.2% have completed vaccination.

The state reported it had administered 90,985 doses in the past seven days for an average of 12,998 per day.

An estimated 46.2% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 42.3%, Jackson County is at 45%, Clay County is at 37.1%, Cass County is at 37.8% and Platte County is at 33.9%.

[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]

Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.

Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 43,099 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 35,279 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,155 cases in Clay County, 8,684 in Cass County and 3,600 in Platte County.

THURSDAY

9 p.m. — Wyandotte County commissioners were urged to reinstate mask mandates during a special meeting Thursday to discuss rising COVID-19 cases. READ MORE.

2:15 p.m. — The North Kansas City School District announced Thursday masks will be required for all students, staff and visitors indoors at all schools. The district said in a news release the requirement includes all individuals, including those who have received the vaccine. READ MORE

1 p.m.The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has amended its travel quarantine list to include the countries of the Botswana, Cuba, Gibraltar, Isle of Man and Martinique. The countries of Argentina, Colombia, Kuwait, Mongolia, Namibia, Seychelles and Tunisia have been removed. These changes are effective today, July 29.

  • Traveled on or after July 29 to Botswana, Cuba, Gibraltar, Isle of Man or Martinique.
  • Traveled on or after July 15 to British Virgin Islands, Cyprus, Fiji, Jersey or The United Kingdom.
  • Traveled between July 15 and July 29 to Tunisia.
  • Traveled between July 1 – July 29 to Namibia.
  • Traveled between June 17 – July 29 to Kuwait or Mongolia.
  • Traveled between June 3 – July 29 to
  • Traveled between May 6 – July 29 to Seychelles.
  • Traveled between April 22 – July 29 to Argentina.
  • Attendance at any out-of-state mass gatherings of 500 or more where individuals do not socially distance (6 feet) and wear a mask.
  • Been on a cruise ship or river cruise on or after March 15, 2020.

The travel quarantine period is seven days with a negative test result or 10 days without testing, with release from quarantine on Day 8 and Day 11, respectively. Further information on quarantine periods can be found on KDHE’s website.

Noon — Students, staff and visitors on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia, Missouri, will again be required to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status.

University officials announced Thursday that the University of Missouri system is taking additional precautions to stem COVID-19 cases as parts of the state see a surge in case numbers.

Also part of the University of Missouri system, UMKC will also be requiring masks in indoor settings starting Aug. 2. UMKC officials said the requirement will remain in place until at least Sept. 15, when the policy will be reevaluated. READ MORE

8 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 564,201 on Thursday, which is an increase of 2,262 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 107,665 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 720.

It’s the second day in a row with the confirmed new cases over 2,000.

The state reported there have been 11,873 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,696 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,638 (+4) deaths since the start of the outbreak and there have been 32 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 18% 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 1,828 hospitalizations associated with COVID.

In the Kansas City area, the state said 392 patients are hospitalized with COVID, 32% of hospital beds are available, 21% of remaining ICU beds are available and 81% of ventilators are available.

The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state climbed slightly to 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 5,252,329 vaccine doses, 2,918,018 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,513,969 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 47.5% of the population has received at least one dose and 41% have completed vaccination.

The state reported it had administered 87,686 doses in the past seven days for an average of 12,527 per day.

An estimated 45.6% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 41.8%, Jackson County is at 44.5%, Clay County is at 36.7%, Cass County is at 37.3% and Platte County is at 33.6%.

[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]

Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.

Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 42,799 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,952 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,094 cases in Clay County, 8,601 in Cass County and 3,568 in Platte County.


[ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]


TUESDAY

8 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 564,201 on Thursday, which is an increase of 2,262 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 107,665 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 720.

It’s the second day in a row with the confirmed new cases over 2,000.

The state reported there have been 11,873 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,696 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,638 (+4) deaths since the start of the outbreak and there have been 32 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 18% 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 1,828 hospitalizations associated with COVID.

In the Kansas City area, the state said 392 patients are hospitalized with COVID, 32% of hospital beds are available, 21% of remaining ICU beds are available and 81% of ventilators are available.

The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state climbed slightly to 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 5,252,329 vaccine doses, 2,918,018 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,513,969 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 47.5% of the population has received at least one dose and 41% have completed vaccination.

The state reported it had administered 87,686 doses in the past seven days for an average of 12,527 per day.

An estimated 45.6% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 41.8%, Jackson County is at 44.5%, Clay County is at 36.7%, Cass County is at 37.3% and Platte County is at 33.6%.

[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]

Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.

Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 42,799 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,952 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,094 cases in Clay County, 8,601 in Cass County and 3,568 in Platte County.

WEDNESDAY

5:15 p.m. — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced that starting Monday, state employees, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear masks in state buildings.

The governor made the announcement Wednesday during a media briefing, citing the state’s rising cases of COVID-19 cases and calling it a “mostly self-inflicted problem.”

The order also applies to visitors entering state buildings or facilities. READ MORE.

3:15 p.m.The City of Independence announced that beginning on Thursday masks will be required in 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.

Exceptions to this mask requirement include:

  • Minors below the age of 5
  • Individuals who have disabilities for which masks constitute a substantial impairment to their health and well-being based upon medical, behavioral, or legal direction and for whom an accommodation cannot be made to allow the business to be conducted remotely, curbside, or outdoors; and
  • Individuals who are actively engaged in consuming food or drink while remaining seated.
  • Professional athletes actively engaged in high-intensity, organized gameplay. Masks are required at all other times in gyms and fitness facilities without further exception.

3 p.m.A central Kansas school district is requiring masks in its buildings and public health officials in two of the state’s most populous counties are recommending that even vaccinated residents wear masks in at least some indoor public spaces.

The developments in the Salina school district and Shawnee and Douglas counties in northeast Kansas came quickly after a surge in new COVID-19 cases tied to the faster-spreading delta variant prompted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to change its guidance on masks.

Also, Gov. Laura Kelly scheduled a Wednesday afternoon news conference at the Statehouse to discuss the new CDC guidance.

1:15 p.m. — Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas was asked about low vaccination rates in the Show-Me State.

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1 p.m. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported an increase of 2,177 cases of COVID-19 in its first update since Monday, pushing the statewide total to 330,932 since the outbreak started.

In addition, KDHE reported four new deaths, making the total since the start of the outbreak 5,247.

The state reported hospitalizations increased by 76 to 11,617 since the start of the outbreak. The state also said there are 40% of ICU beds available and 85% of ventilators.

The state also said it is tracking 188 (+12) cases of the delta variant in Johnson County, 119 (+11) in Wyandotte County, 30 (+2) in Leavenworth County, 28 (+8) in Douglas County and 12 (+2) in Miami County.

Health officials said they’re now monitoring 108 outbreak clusters, up from 108 earlier this month. A total of 1,134 cases have been attributed to these clusters with 47 hospitalizations and 17 deaths.

The overall monthly positivity is up to 8.6% for July 2021 to date. However, that number is down from a high of 16.5% in November.

The state also said it has vaccinated 1,397,885 people, 2,532,701 total doses of the vaccine have been administered and 48% of the population has been vaccinated with one dose and 42% 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 62,675 cases. Sedgwick County is second with 59,650. Wyandotte County is third with 22,146 cases. Leavenworth County has 7,859 cases, Douglas County reports 9,306 and Miami County has 2,969.

11:20 a.m. — Masks are back in Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas officially introduced a new indoor mask mandate for the city on Wednesday, less than two months after the original order expired at the end of May. READ MORE

10:25 a.m.Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said he plans to file a lawsuit against Kansas City for its plans to reinstate a mask mandate for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. A spokesperson for Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said the mayor will introduce a new indoor mask mandate for the city on Wednesday. Official details of the plan have yet to be released as of 10:15 a.m. Wednesday. READ MORE

9:45 a.m. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson criticized the decision by the CDC to suggest a return to masking. He called the CDC’s decision “disappointing and concerning.”

“It’s disappointing because it is inconsistent with the overwhelming evidence surrounding the efficacy of the vaccines and their proven results, and it only serves to disrupt the increases we are seeing in vaccine uptake,” Parson said.

“This self-inflicted setback encourages skepticism and vaccine hesitancy at a time when the goal is to prevent serious illnesses and deaths from COVID-19 through vaccination.

“It’s concerning because the nation’s top public health agency appears to be cowering to the political pressures of those who only want to force mandates and shutdowns, which only further prolong the recovery we as a nation are working towards. This decision only promotes fear and further division among our citizens.”

8 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 561,939 on Wednesday, which is an increase of 2,161 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 107,665 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 787.

The state reported there have been 11,720 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,674 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,638 (+16) 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, 29% hospital beds available and 70% of ventilators are available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,727 hospitalizations associated with COVID.

In the Kansas City area, the state said 344 patients are hospitalized with COVID, 31% of hospital beds are available, 20% of remaining ICU beds are available and 80% of ventilators are available.

The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state dropped slightly to 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 5,236,987 vaccine doses, 2,907,355 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,508,729 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 47.4% of the population has received at least one dose and 40.9% have completed vaccination.

The state reported it had administered 86,637 doses in the past seven days for an average of 12,377 per day.

An estimated 45.6% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 41.8%, Jackson County is at 44.5%, Clay County is at 36.7%, Cass County is at 37.3% and Platte County is at 33.6%.

[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]

Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.

Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 42,632 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,814 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,070 cases in Clay County, 8,555 in Cass County and 3,554 in Platte County.


[ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]


TUESDAY

9 p.m. — A spokesperson for Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said the mayor will introduce a new indoor mask mandate for the city on Wednesday. Lucas is expected to provide details for Kansas City’s new mask mandate during Wednesday morning’s CORE 4 call with other metro leaders. READ MORE

4:15 p.m. — Jackson County Executive Frank White announced Tuesday a new health care mandate that requires all full-time and part-time county staff to show proof of full vaccination or receive weekly COVID-19 testing. White said the new policy takes effect on Sept. 30. READ MORE

12:15 p.m.As COVID-19 hospitalizations climb, St. Louis is offering incentives for some city employees to get immunized, while thousands are registering for a statewide vaccine lottery.

St. Louis said in a news release Tuesday that nearly 6,000 of its workers will be eligible to receive $100 in gift cards and can use paid time off to get vaccinated. The announcement comes one day after a mask mandate took effect in the city and St. Louis County.

Missouri has the nation’s fourth-worst COVID-19 diagnosis rate over the past week, with one in every 360 people diagnosed with COVID-19.

“Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 remains the best way for St. Louisans to protect their families and greatly reduce their chance of ending up in the ICU, and we are using many different tools in our toolbox to encourage vaccination,” said St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones in the release.

Statewide, COVID-19 hospitalization jumped by 168% from a low point of 628 of May 23 to 1,684 on Aug. 24, state data shows. But the jump was much sharper in sparsely vaccinated southwest Missouri, where the number of hospitalizations leapt by 443% and reached pandemic highs.

To help, the state rolled out a vaccine incentive program last week that includes $10,000 prizes for 900 lottery winners. About 250,000 people have registered so far, said health department spokeswoman Lisa Cox.

Only 47.4% of Missourians have received at least one dose of the vaccine, compared with 56.8% nationally, state and federal data shows. The rate is far lower for younger residents, with just 26.5% of 12- to 14-year-olds and 36.5% of 15- to 24-year-olds getting at least one dose.

Hospital officials in Springfield have been begging on social media for people to get vaccinated.

Erik Frederick, chief administrative officer of Mercy Springfield, retweeted a message Monday night from a COVID-19 nurse who wrote that the situation was “getting worse” and that there was “no end in sight.”

Rising cases also are putting a strain on contact tracers in St. Joseph in northwest Missouri, said Connie Werner, health department clinic coordinator. The vaccination rate in surrounding Buchanan County is just 22.3%.

“It’s not that the vaccine isn’t available, and it’s not that there’s not multiple opportunities and multiple times for people to get it, it’s just that they’re not going to get it,” Werner told the St. Joseph News-Press. “It does take the community to have accountability as well, instead of us walking up to you and begging you to take it.”

10:20 a.m. — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to update its guidelines on Tuesday to urge vaccinated people in certain areas of the country to resume wearing masks because of COVID-19. READ MORE

8:30 a.m. — As coronavirus cases climb, Kansas City area local health experts are pushing back on criticism of mask-wearing.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson chastised leaders in St. Louis for putting mask rules in place again – tweeting “dictating mask mandates when we have the vaccine is ignoring the real solution and eroding public trust.” Doctors with the University of Kansas Health System say the proof is in the numbers.

“A whole lot of Missourians aren’t vaccinated yet,” Dr. Steve Stites said. “So, we may have the vaccine, but if it’s it in the pharmacy and not in your arm, well then you don’t have the vaccine. Right? And so I think that’s the first problem. The second thing is, even if you’ve been vaccinated, you can still spread the delta variant.”

Doctors recommend everyone mask in indoor public spaces to curb the spread and prevent new variants from forming.

8 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 559,778 on Tuesday, which is an increase of 1,777 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 106,878 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 637.

The state reported there have been 11,329 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,678 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,622 (+64) deaths since the start of the outbreak. The state said 46 of those new deaths are attributed to a review of death certificates.

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.

There are 16% of remaining ICU beds available, 28% hospital beds available and 70% of ventilators available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,684 hospitalizations associated with COVID.

The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state remains as 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 5,225,074 vaccine doses, 2,898,600 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,505,036 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 47.2% of the population has received at least one dose and 40.8% have completed vaccination.

The state reported it had administered 84,813 doses in the past seven days for an average of 12,116 per day.

An estimated 45.5% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Independence is at 41.6%, Jackson County is at 44.4%, Clay County is at 36.6%, Cass County is at 37.2% and Platte County is at 33.6%.

[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]

Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.

Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 42,434 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,679 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 9,029 cases in Clay County, 8,522 in Cass County and 3,540 in Platte County.


[ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]


MONDAY

2 p.m. — Truman Medical Centers/University Health is the first local hospital system to step forward and require all staff members be vaccinated for COVID-19.

In an announcement Monday afternoon, hospital officials said staff members will be required to be vaccinated by Sept. 20. READ MORE

1:45 p.m. — The Department of Veterans Affairs will require many of its frontline health workers to be vaccinated, the agency announced on Monday, making it the first area of the federal government to require shots among some of its workers. READ MORE.

1:30 p.m. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported an increase of 1,488 cases of COVID-19 in its first update since Friday, pushing the statewide total to 328,755 since the outbreak started.

In addition, KDHE reported 4 new deaths, making the total since the start of the outbreak 5,243.

The state reported hospitalizations increased by 30 to 11,541 since the start of the outbreak. The state also said there are 40% of ICU beds available and 85% of ventilators.

The state also said it is tracking 188 (+0) cases of the delta variant in Johnson County, 108 (+23) in Wyandotte County, 28 (+0) in Leavenworth County, 20 (+0) in Douglas County and 10 (+0) in Miami County.

Health officials said they’re now monitoring 71 outbreak clusters, up from 45 earlier this month. A total of 739 cases have been attributed to these clusters with 34 hospitalizations and 14 deaths.

The overall monthly positivity is up to 8.3% for July 2021 to date. However, that number is down from a high of 16.5% in November.

The state also said it has vaccinated 1,391,326 people, 2,523,820 total doses of the vaccine have been administered and 47.8% of the population has been vaccinated with one dose and 41.9% 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 62,244 cases. Sedgwick County is second with 59,410. Wyandotte County is third with 21,995 cases. Leavenworth County has 7,757 cases, Douglas County reports 9,242 and Miami County has 2,956.

11 a.m. — CoxHealth CEO Steve Edwards said on Monday that from Friday through Sunday, 15 patients died from COVID-19 at the hospital in Springfield, Missouri. Edwards said so far in July, Cox has lost 72 patients from COVID-19, and he reported all the victims were unvaccinated. READ MORE

10 a.m. — Mask mandates took effect again in the St. Louis area Monday amid a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases spurred by the delta variant. Masks now are mandatory in indoor public places and on public transportation in St. Louis city and St. Louis County for everyone age 5 or older – even for those who are vaccinated.

It’s a decision that Missouri Gov. Mike Parson disagrees with.

“From the very beginning of this pandemic, we have recognized the importance of local control,” he said. “However, re-imposing mask mandates regardless of vaccination status is WRONG and goes against current CDC guidelines.”

gov. mike parson

9:05 a.m. — Leaders in the Shawnee Mission School District in Kansas are sitting down Monday night to discuss rules regarding COVID-19 for the upcoming school year. At the heart of the options under consideration — should masks be worn inside schools? READ MORE

9 a.m. — With weeks to go until the start of school, many districts are weighing their health and safety options.

So far, only one large district in our area – Kansas City Kansas Public Schools – has decided masks will be mandatory.

Doctor Kenny Southwick with the Cooperating School Districts of Greater Kansas City says vaccines are the No. 1 tool in the fight against the virus, and he urges parents – to get eligible kids their shots now.

“Don’t wait till the last minute like you sometimes do with other vaccines,” he said. “Now is the window of time to get your children vaccinated so they can go back to school and they have the greatest opportunity to be safe and stay in school.”

Doctors point out families are likely behind on vaccinations because only the Pfizer vaccine is available for kids. The two-shot course would take a minimum of five weeks before kids are considered fully vaccinated.

8 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 558,001 on Monday, which is an increase of 892 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 106,241 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 223.

The state reported there have been 10,990 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,570 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,558 (+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.

There are 16% of remaining ICU beds available, 25% hospital beds available and 70% of ventilators available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,682 hospitalizations associated with COVID.

The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state remains as 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 5,217,174 vaccine doses, 2,893,237 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,502,467 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 47.1% of the population has received at least one dose and 40.8% have completed vaccination.

An estimated 45.4% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Jackson County is at 44.3%, Clay County is at 36.5%, Cass County is at 37.1% and Platte County is at 33.5%.

[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]

Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.

Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 42,246 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,579 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 8,994 cases in Clay County, 8,477 in Cass County and 3,527 in Platte County.

6 a.m. — The new mask mandate in the city and county of St. Louis that takes effect this week is being criticized by several state and local elected officials.

Starting Monday, masks will be mandatory in indoor public places and on public transportation for everyone age 5 or older, even for those who are vaccinated, officials said in a news release on Friday. Wearing masks outdoors will be encouraged, especially in group settings.

The politicians opposing the renewed mask mandate include Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and St. Louis County Councilmen Tim Fitch and Mark Harder, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Schmitt, who is running for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate, said he plans to file a lawsuit on Monday to block the city and county from enforcing the renewed mandate.

“If the last six months have taught us anything it’s that when it comes to expansive, authoritative executive action we have to fight back with everything we’ve got – all the time,” he said on Twitter on Saturday. “Wherever we see it – fight the fight. Our freedoms are on the line.”

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones on Saturday responded to Schmitt on Twitter: “Our top priority is protecting the health, safety, and wellbeing of the people of St. Louis City and County. Nobody is surprised that the Attorney General plans to file yet another frivolous lawsuit to serve his own political ambitions.”

Fitch and Harder said they may ask the County Council to rescind the new mask mandate.


[ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]


SUNDAY

8 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 557,109 on Sunday, which is an increase of 1,253 confirmed cases. The state has reported more than 1,000 new confirmed cases in seven out of the last eight days.

The state also reported there have been 106,018 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 367.

The state reported there have been 11,499 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,642 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,557 (+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.

There are 17% of remaining ICU beds available, 26% hospital beds available and 70% of ventilators available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,682 hospitalizations associated with COVID.

The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state fell slightly to 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 5,203,948 vaccine doses, 2,884,088 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,498,225 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 47% of the population has received at least one dose and 40.7% have completed vaccination.

An estimated 45.3% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Jackson County is at 44.1%, Clay County is at 36.3%, Cass County is at 36.9% and Platte County is at 33.3%.

[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]

Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.

Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 42,169 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,501 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 8,986 cases in Clay County, 8,475 in Cass County and 3,521 in Platte County.


[ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]


SATURDAY

9 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 555,856 on Saturday, which is an increase of 2,220 confirmed cases. It’s the fourth straight day with more than 2,000 confirmed new cases.

The state also reported there have been 105,651 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 686.

The state reported there have been 11,536 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,648 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,557 (+8) 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.

That same variant has been found in Kansas City-area wastewater treatment facilities, and 10 Kansas City-area health departments issued a joint public health advisory on COVID-19 last Friday, recommending that unvaccinated residents wear face coverings.

There are 17% of remaining ICU beds available, 25% hospital beds available and 70% of ventilators available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,700 (+68) hospitalizations associated with COVID.

The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state grew to 14.8%, according to the MDHSS. That number is the highest since Dec. 25, 2020. 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 5,188,346 vaccine doses, 2,873,608 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,492,613 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 46.8% of the population has received at least one dose and 40.6% have completed vaccination.

An estimated 45.1% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Jackson County is at 44%, Clay County is at 36.2%, Cass County is at 36.8% and Platte County is at 33.2%.

[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]

Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.

Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 42,025 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,398 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 8,971 cases in Clay County, 8,461 in Cass County and 3,520 in Platte County.


[ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]


FRIDAY

7:30 p.m. — Metropolitan Community College said Friday that it will give up to 1,000 fully vaccinated people a free MCC class for the fall 2021 semester. This includes current students as well as prospective students. READ MORE.

5:30 p.m. — The University of Kansas announced Friday that basketball coach Bill Self has tested positive for COVID-19.

“I was excited to get back on the road today to see some recruits at various tournaments this weekend, but I tested positive for COVID-19 and am in isolation,” Self said in a statement. “Yesterday afternoon I started having some minor symptoms and wanted to get tested before traveling and being around these young men. That’s when I learned my results came back positive, and a second test today confirmed that. I am fully vaccinated and feeling pretty good right now.” READ MORE.

4:15 p.m.Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas issued a statement after St. Louis and St. Louis County announced Friday that masks will be required in some public places starting Monday.

St. Louis officials cited a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases because of the delta variant.

Lucas called for COVID-safe practices in the following statement:

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, I have been proud of Kansas City’s decisive leadership, which saved lives, and Kansas City government will continue to act in the best interest of the health and safety of our community.” READ MORE

3:10 p.m. — St. Louis city and county officials say they will require masks in some public places starting Monday., citing a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases spurred by the delta variant.

Masks will be mandatory in indoor public places and on public transportation for everyone age 5 or older, even for those who are vaccinated, officials said in a news release on Friday. Masking outdoors “will be strongly encouraged,” especially in group settings. READ MORE.

1:30 p.m. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported an increase of 1,539 cases of COVID-19 in its first update since Wednesday, pushing the statewide total to 327,267 since the outbreak started.

It was the second report in a row with more than 1,500 new cases.

In addition, KDHE reported 21 new deaths, making the total since the start of the outbreak 5,239. It was also the second straight report with more than 20 new deaths attributed to COVID-19.

The state reported hospitalizations increased by 66 to 11,511 since the start of the outbreak. The state also said there are 39% of ICU beds available and 85% of ventilators available with 381 patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

The state also said it is tracking 188 (+48) cases of the delta variant in Johnson County, 85 (+14) in Wyandotte County, 28 (+5) in Leavenworth County, 20 (+1) in Douglas County and 10 (+2) in Miami County.

Health officials said they’re now monitoring 71 outbreak clusters, up from 45 earlier this month. A total of 739 cases have been attributed to these clusters with 34 hospitalizations and 14 deaths.

The overall monthly positivity is up to 8.1% for July 2021 to date. However, that number is down from a high of 16.5% in November.

The state also said it has vaccinated 1,381,773 people, 2,510,419 total doses of the vaccine have been administered and 47.4% of the population has been vaccinated with one dose and 41.8% 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 61,987 cases. Sedgwick County is second with 59,200. Wyandotte County is third with 21,846 cases. Leavenworth County has 7,675 cases, Douglas County reports 9,185 and Miami County has 2,939.

9 a.m. — The University of Kansas Health System’s chief medical officer says he and several other leaders at other hospitals agree – mask mandates should come back to prevent serious illnesses and COVID-19 deaths. But Dr. Steve Stites says he doesn’t know if local leaders will heed the warning.

“Things are going to get worse and worse and worse, and they’re going to be forced to do it,” Stites said. “I’d like to do a little prevention, so we don’t keep things that bad, because I’m afraid of what’s going to happen with our hospitals. I don’t want to see us end up in Springfield. “

Stites says if you’re vaccinated around other people you know are vaccinated, you’re probably fine and don’t need to mask up. But if you have any doubts, he recommends putting one on to curb the spread of the virus.

KU reported it is treating 56 total COVID-19 patients with 33 of the cases considered active, including 12 in the ICU and seven on a ventilator.

8 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 553,636 on Friday, which is an increase of 2,027 confirmed cases. It’s the third straight day with more than 2,000 confirmed new cases.

The state also reported there have been 104,965 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 838.

The state reported there have been 10,685 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,526 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,549 (+15) 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.

That same variant has been found in Kansas City-area wastewater treatment facilities, and 10 Kansas City-area health departments issued a joint public health advisory on COVID-19 last Friday, recommending that unvaccinated residents wear face coverings.

There are 16% of remaining ICU beds available, 27% hospital beds available and 71% of ventilators available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,632 (+100) hospitalizations associated with COVID.

The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state remained at 14.4%, according to the MDHSS. That number is the highest since Jan. 11. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November.

The state said it has administered 5,170,991 vaccine doses, 2,862,909 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,485,410 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 46.6% of the population has received at least one dose and 40.5% have completed vaccination.

An estimated 44.8% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Jackson County is at 43%, Clay County is at 36.1%, Cass County is at 36.5% and Platte County is at 31.2%.

[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]

Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.

Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 41,855 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,252 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 8,938 cases in Clay County, 8,404 in Cass County and 3,511 in Platte County.

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[ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]


THURSDAY

5:45 p.m. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said more personnel and equipment are heading to Springfield and Greene County to help in the fight against COVID-19 and support the area’s health care system. READ MORE.

12:15 p.m. — Missouri health leaders said people are attempting to “undermine” the state’s new incentive program to get more people vaccinated.

Starting in July, the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services will partner with the Missouri Lottery to draw 180 winners in five randomized drawings who will win either $10,000 cash or $10,000 towards an education savings account. In total, the state will award 900 individuals throughout the incentive program.

Missourians must register for a chance to win through a secure online form that is found on the “Be a Mo VIP Winner” website. The state said it will not be pulling vaccination records for automatic enrollment into the program.

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8:30 a.m. — Doctors with the University of Kansas Health System continue to raise concern about rising case counts in their hospitals and in the Kansas City metro area.

As of Thursday, there are 33 active cases with 12 patients in the ICU, six on a ventilator and 30 of the hospitalized cases were not vaccinated.

“The storm is here,” Dr. Steve Stites said. “Take shelter from the storm. Now we’re at the epicenter.”

8 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 551,609 on Thursday, which is an increase of 2,418 confirmed cases. It’s the second straight day with more than 2,200 confirmed new cases and the highest total since Jan. 7.

The state also reported there have been 104,127 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 928.

The state reported there have been 10,367 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,481 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,534 (+8) 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.

That same variant has been found in Kansas City-area wastewater treatment facilities, and 10 Kansas City-area health departments issued a joint public health advisory on COVID-19 last Friday, recommending that unvaccinated residents wear face coverings.

There are 19% of remaining ICU beds available, 30% hospital beds available and 72% of ventilators available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,532 hospitalizations associated with COVID.

The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state climbed to 14.4%, according to the MDHSS. That number is the highest since Jan. 11. That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November.

The state said it has administered 5,155,046 vaccine doses, 2,852,499 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,479,168 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 46.5% of the population has received at least one dose and 40.4% have completed vaccination.

An estimated 44.8% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Jackson County is at 43%, Clay County is at 36.1%, Cass County is at 36.5% and Platte County is at 31.2%.

[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]

Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.

Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 41,674 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,153 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 8,910 cases in Clay County, 8,353 in Cass County and 3,505 in Platte County.


[ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]


WEDNESDAY

9 p.m. — The Kansas City school board met Wednesday to talk about the district’s back-to-school plan. The Kansas City Health Department is recommending universal masking to protect students and staff from COVID-19. Board members said they will monitor COVID-19 cases and tell families what they’ve decided in early August.

3:05 p.m.Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced a new set of COVID-19 vaccine incentives Wednesday that gives people that are vaccinated a shot at winning $10,000.

Parson’s office unveiled perks for getting vaccinated at a press conference in his Capitol office. The new program called “Be a Mo VIP Winner” rewards those who have chosen to receive or will choose to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. READ MORE

2 p.m.Missouri’s Republican Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday is set to announce COVID-19 vaccine incentives. Parson’s office said he’ll unveil perks for getting vaccinated at a Wednesday press conference in his Capitol office. He’s also expected to announce the new state health department director. READ MORE

12:30 p.m. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported an increase of 1,541 cases of COVID-19 in its first update since Monday, pushing the statewide total to 325,728 since the outbreak started.

KDHE reported 20 new deaths, making the total since the start of the outbreak 5,218. The state reported hospitalizations increased by 81 to 11,445 since the start of the outbreak.

The state also said there are 39% of ICU beds available and 85% of ventilators available with 381 patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

The state also said it is tracking 140 (+15) cases of the delta variant in Johnson County, 85 (+8) in Wyandotte County, 23 (+4) in Leavenworth County, 19 (+6) in Douglas County and eight (+4) in Miami County.

Health officials said they’re now monitoring 71 (+20) outbreak clusters, up from 45 earlier this month. A total of 739 cases have been attributed to these clusters with 34 hospitalizations and 14 deaths.

State health officials are now also tracking MIS-C cases in the state, or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children, associated with COVID-19. So far, the state notes 17 cases.

The overall monthly positivity is up to 7.8% for July 2021 to date. However, that number is down from a high of 16.5% in November.

The state also said it has vaccinated 1,326,134 people, 2,410,047 total doses of the vaccine have been administered and 45.5% of the population has been vaccinated with one dose and 40.1% 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 61,655 cases. Sedgwick County is second with 58,979. Wyandotte County is third with 21,688 cases. Leavenworth County has 7,618 cases, Douglas County reports 9,128 and Miami County has 2,926.

8 a.m. — The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services announced the state’s total of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 549,191 on Wednesday, which is an increase of 2,229 confirmed cases. The state also reported there have been 103,199 possible antigen cases to date, which is an increase of 766.

The state reported there have been 9,728 positive cases over the last seven days and an average of 1,390 cases a day. The state said there have now been 9,526 (+8) 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.

That same variant has been found in Kansas City-area wastewater treatment facilities, and 10 Kansas City-area health departments issued a joint public health advisory on COVID-19 last Friday, recommending that unvaccinated residents wear face coverings.

There are 19% of remaining ICU beds available, 31% hospital beds available and 71% of ventilators available, the state said. The state also reported there were 1,485 hospitalizations associated with COVID.

The overall seven-day positivity rate for the state climbed to 14.2%, according to the MDHSS. That number is the highest since Jan. 11.

That number has climbed more than 10 percentage points since June, but it’s still down from a high of 23.1% in November.

The state said it has administered 5,138,769 vaccine doses, 2,841,632 people have initiated vaccination (or received one dose) and 2,473,110 people have received a second dose. Overall, the state said 46.1% of the population has received at least one dose and 40.2% have completed vaccination.

An estimated 44.6% of Kansas City residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while Jackson County is at 42.8%, Clay County is at 35.9%, Cass County is at 36.5% and Platte County is at 31.1%.

[ MISSOURI COVID-19 DASHBOARD ]

Missouri does not list how many people have recovered from COVID-19.

Looking at local numbers, the DHSS reported 41,524 confirmed cases in Kansas City, Missouri, and 34,010 cases in Jackson County. The state also lists 8,884 cases in Clay County, 8,312 in Cass County and 3,496 in Platte County.


[ HOW TO GET THE VACCINE, TRACKING NUMBERS IN KANSAS, MISSOURI ]


The Associated Press contributed to this story.



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