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Missourinet

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Missouri has now completed 68 mass vaccination clinics

February 25, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

The governor says more than 66,000 Missourians have received an initial COVID vaccine at a mass vaccination clinic.

The Missouri National Guard, the state Department of Health and Senior Services and Pettis County health officials assist residents at a mass vaccination clinic in west-central Missouri’s Sedalia on February 23, 2021 (photo courtesy of the State Emergency Management Agency)

Governor Mike Parson tells Capitol reporters that 68 mass vaccination clinics have been completed around the state. Another eight are scheduled for Friday. They will take place in Jefferson City, Springfield, in northern Missouri’s Chillicothe and Hannibal, in west-central Missouri’s Clinton, in southern Missouri’s Rolla and West Plains and in the Bootheel town of Caruthersville.

The mass vaccination clinics are operated by the Missouri National Guard, the state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and by local health officials.

The governor has also announced that targeted teams in St. Louis and Kansas City have completed another 24 vaccine clinics, with more planned in the coming weeks. The targeted teams serve vulnerable populations in areas with limited access to health care.

During Thursday’s briefing in Jefferson City, Governor Parson also touted improving numbers for COVID. He says CDC data shows Missouri now ranks second lowest in the nation for average daily COVID cases per 100,000 residents, over the past week.

The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) says Missouri vaccinators have now administered more than 1.1 million COVID shots, which includes first and second doses. That’s about 12 percent of Missouri’s population. DHSS says 373,082 have received both shots.

Copyright © 2021 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, Military, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Caruthersville, CDC, Chillicothe, Clinton, COVID vaccines, Hannibal, Jefferson City, Kansas City, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Missouri Governor Mike Parson, Missouri mass vaccination clinics, Missouri National Guard, Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, Rolla, Springfield, St. Louis, targeted teams, West Plains

UK variation of COVID-19 not detected in Missouri – yet

January 21, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

A highly contagious version of COVID-19 has made its way to the United States from the UK. During a Capitol press conference Wednesday, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Dr. Randall Williams says the state is keeping a close eye on the variation.

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams briefs Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on August 5, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

“We have not identified a case of the UK variant yet in Missouri,” says Williams. “It is in the Midwest. It’s in Illinois. It’s been in Indiana. Certainly, have seen that around the country. So, we are watching that very vigilantly. We get tests back and so far we’ve been blessed that they have come back negative. But that could certainly be a factor.”

The variation, known as B.1.1.7., has an unusually large number of mutations. The CDC says there is no evidence at this time to show that UK version of the virus causes more severe illness or increased risk of death.

Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, an infectious disease specialist at Washington University in St. Louis, says there have been other strains of the virus but they have not had a significant impact like this one.

“All that we are seeing right now is higher clusters of people, particularly in the United Kingdom and in South Africa,” she says.

Hlatshwayo Davis says the higher rates of transmission are another reason taking health precautions is necessary, such as wearing a mask, proper handwashing, social distancing, and getting vaccinated.

She says Pfizer and Moderna, who have researchers testing B.1.1.7. against the vaccine, think the drugs currently being used will be effective against the UK version of the virus.

Copyright © 2021 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, Legislature, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: B.1.1.7., CDC, COVID-19, Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, Dr. Randall Williams, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Moderna, Pfizer

CDC, Missouri officials begin work on first-ever COVID-19 study within K-12 schools

December 10, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

Missouri is partnering with the CDC, Washington University and St. Louis University to help local K-12 schools and public health leaders review current COVID-19 measures. CDC workers arrived over the weekend to begin working on the first-ever pilot project within elementary and secondary schools.

Missouri officials begin work on first-ever COVID-19 study within K-12 schools

The effort will track COVID-19 infections among students and staff based upon whether they were wearing masks in school when they came into close contact with someone infected with the virus. They will be tested over a 30-day period.

Schools participating in the project are being identified in St. Charles, St. Louis, and Greene Counties. Participation of students, workers and employees is voluntary.

During a Missouri Board of Education meeting this week, State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education spokeswoman Mallory McGowin says the project is being piloted for the next couple weeks until schools go on winter break.

“And then the entire data collection and review process is anticipated to be completed within about three months. So likely when schools resume in the new calendar year, there will be more of ability to add participating districts,” she says. “The project will also involve a survey of school-based mitigation strategies. That survey will be sent to schools throughout the state to help the researchers and medical professionals working on this project better understand the measures that are being implemented across the state.”

The findings could lead to additional health measures being taken.

The results of the study will be published for the nation’s school systems to see.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Education, Health / Medicine, News Tagged With: CDC, Mallory McGowin, Missouri Board of Education, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Saint Louis University, Washington University

Federal funds to help Missouri school districts dealing with COVID pandemic; lawmakers say resources are needed (AUDIO)

December 7, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

About $76 million in federal money will be heading to Missouri’s k-12 schools, once Governor Mike Parson signs the supplemental budget bill.

Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, speaks on the House floor in Jefferson City on November 10, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, says the $1.27 billion supplemental budget includes $75.6 million for school nutrition services.

“i.e., paying for meals in k-12 education,” Smith says. “So this is a supplement, an additional federal fund that we’re appropriating for that will go to help compensate schools for the cost of those meals.”

The $75.6 million will reimburse Missouri’s k-12 schools, for feeding students during the COVID pandemic.

Missouri lawmakers approved the supplemental budget with large bipartisan votes in both chambers. The Missouri House approved it by a 133-4 vote in November, and the Senate approved it last week on a 23-1 vote.

Chairman Smith says an additional $266,463 in federal money will also be going to Missouri’s K-12 schools. He notes state lawmakers appropriated federal grant money for the Missouri Healthy School program.

“This is to disseminate the COVID-19 guidance that comes down from the CDC, so that we can help schools administer the guidance as it is issued by the CDC,” says Smith.

The CDC is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This is good news to school superintendents across the state, who have been dealing with tight budgets because of the pandemic. Some local superintendents in northeast Missouri reached out to our Quincy affiliate WGEM on Friday, seeking information on when the money will start flowing.

Chairman Smith tells Missourinet the funding is very important to local school districts.

“We know that it’s been a tremendous challenge to try to educate our children in the face of a pandemic, and so all these resources are sorely needed across the state,” Smith says.

The largest part of the $1.27 billion supplemental budget is $764 million for the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), to help the agency respond to the ongoing pandemic. Another $23 million will go toward the community development block grant program, to support local community projects.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, which was recorded on December 4, 2020:

https://cdn.missourinet.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bh-codysmithDecember2020.mp3

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Agriculture, Education, Health / Medicine, Legislature, News Tagged With: $1.27 billion supplemental budget bill, Carthage, CDC, COVID pandemic, Missouri Governor Mike Parson, Missouri Healthy Schools program, Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, Missouri's k-12 schools, Missourinet Quincy affiliate WGEM, northeast Missouri school superintendents, school nutrition services, State Emergency Management Agency

The latest on Missouri’s upcoming distribution of COVID-19 vaccines

December 3, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

If the Food and Drug Administration approves Pfizer’s request for emergency use of the company’s COVID-19 drug, Missouri could get the first shipment of the vaccine later this month. The first batch is expected to include enough doses to vaccinate 51,000 people, followed by enough to immunize 64,000 the next week.

DHSS Director Dr. Randall Williams

The first phase of the state’s immunization plans will allow healthcare workers to get the two-dose vaccine about one month apart. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Randall Williams tells Missourinet vaccinating nurses and other hospital employees will help to alleviate a shortage of those workers.

“About 10% – the reason they’re not at work is because they have COVID or they’re quarantined,” says Dr. Williams. “Getting them vaccinated by the end of January at our ten additional sites, is going to be huge for taking care of that issue. So, we’re incredibly excited about that.”

According to the state’s new COVID-19 vaccine website, the first phase will also include other essential workers like daycare and school workers, first responders and some food processing employees.

On Tuesday, the CDC prioritized long-term care residents to get vaccinated. During a Capitol press conference today with the governor, Williams says the extra Pfizer doses will be used to vaccinate both long-term care residents and employees beginning around December 21. Missouri has about 58,000 patients living in these facilities.

The state is expected to get doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for 105,000 other hospital workers. Williams says the state is on track to have all of its 300,000 healthcare workers vaccinated by the end of January.

Williams says residents and staff within Missouri’s congregate facilities like prisons and mental healthcare will begin getting vaccinated in February.

Under Missouri’s plan, the general public could get vaccinated in phase 2 and 3 as the vaccine availability increases.

The state has identified 21 sites to store the vaccinations. Their locations are a mystery. Williams tells Missourinet the federal government has restricted the state from releasing their locations.

“We’re not allowed to share that for security reasons,” says Dr. Williams.

He says the drugs can be stored for up to six months.

“To receive the distribution, you have to assure the CDC that you can vaccinate that amount of people in 10 days,” says Williams. “You can’t hoard it. You can’t ask for 10,000 doses and say we’re going to use it over three months.”

To view the state’s new COVID-19 vaccine website, click here.

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: CDC, COVID-19, Dr. Randall Williams, FDA, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Moderma, Pfizer

Missouri leaders to address coronavirus control, health director meets with White House

February 27, 2020 By Missourinet Contributor

Dr. Randall Williams (courtesy Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services)

Missouri’s health director will testify Monday in Jefferson City before a newly-created state House committee related to the new coronavirus. House Speaker Elijah Haahr announced the formation of the committee Thursday, saying state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams has briefed his office on the state’s response plan to protect Missourians’ health. Speaker Haahr says that the more information Missourians have, the better equipped the state will be to mitigate the virus’ spread.

Williams said in an agency statement released today, “Prior to the national health emergency being declared on January 31, our incident management team from DHSS had already begun daily meetings (on Jan. 27) as part of our normal preparedness and response duties. Part of our responsibilities also includes being an effective liaison to local public health departments who were briefed last week in Jefferson City with the latest information from federal partners.”

This week, Williams traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with his counterparts from around the nation to discuss preparations across our country with the acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and the Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar.”

“I am pleased that our efforts here in Missouri are strategically aligned with our federal and national partners.”

The Missouri State Public Health Laboratory has been approved by the CDC to begin providing testing. The test uses real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction to detect the virus which causes COVID-19, and it can provide same-day results.

“Our Missouri team has been working to educate and collaborate with a robust network of response organizations including the State Emergency Management Agency, all 16 State departments, the Missouri State Public Health Laboratory, clinicians, local public health departments, medical associations, hospital associations, airports, school nurses, student health departments at colleges, and others to provide timely and accurate information in preparation for the possibility of a future positive case,” Dr. Williams also said in the press statement.

Missouri DHSS has established a website at www.health.mo.gov/coronavirus to provide information and links to resources and education material on COVID-19.

 

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, News Tagged With: CDC, coronavirus, DHSS, Dr. Randall Williams, House Speaker Elijah Haahr, White House



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