Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Archives

Missouri unveils new COVID-19 vaccine website

November 25, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor has announced the launch of a new vaccine website, which answers common questions and clarifies what it calls misinformation.

The new website is mostopscovid.com, and provides Missourians with information about the safety of the vaccines, research and production processes and when they could be eligible for vaccination.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson (left) tours Milbank Manufacturing in Kansas City on November 20, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

Governor Mike Parson emphasizes that safety involving the vaccines is not being sacrificed. The governor says research and development of multiple COVID-19 vaccines continue to show promising safety and effectiveness findings.

One tab on the website is titled “get the facts”, and says you cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine. Another tab is called “rumor control”.

Missouri submitted its 111-page plan for administering the impending COVID vaccine to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in October.

State health officials say there are currently 2,680 COVID patients in Missouri hospitals, including 664 in the ICU. The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) says there have been 24,922 new COVID cases in the past week, which is down about 1,000 from Friday. There have been 78 new COVID deaths in the past week.

CDC in Missouri Monday to begin landmark COVID-19 study within schools

November 25, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will have boots on the ground in Missouri Monday to begin a first-of-its-kind COVID-19 study within some K-12 schools. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Randall Williams says the state pitched the study idea to the CDC.

CDC in Missouri Monday to begin landmark COVID-19 study within schools

He tells Missourinet two groups of students will be tested for COVID-19 over a 30-day period.

“Students who are identified as close contacts at school that are wearing masks. So, if the patient who was identified and the student was identified at school, then in one arm of the study, they can still come to school. Now, they will quarantine when they are at home when they leave school,” says Williams.

The other group being tested are students considered a close contact who are required to quarantine for 14 days, regardless of whether they were wearing a mask.

Teachers will be included in the case and contact investigation.

“The prevailing evidence to date after about eight months is, is that there is a very low risk of catching COVID-19 at school just from proximity if you are wearing a mask,” says Dr. Williams.

Missouri does not have a statewide mask requirement. Earlier this month, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education loosened the guidelines for making students and staff quarantine after exposure to someone with COVID-19, if they were properly wearing masks at school.

Williams did not have information about the number of schools and which schools are involved.

“You need to check a certain number to reach what is called the power to make a conclusion. So, that all is being done by our epidemiologists at the CDC, Washington University, and St. Louis University. They will determine how many people you need to study to make that observation,” Dr. Williams says.

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

Missouri’s health director to outline vaccine plan and testify about increasing COVID numbers (AUDIO)

November 8, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri health officials say there have been about 21,000 new COVID cases in the past week, an average of 3,105 per day.

State Rep. Jonathan Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on August 25, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

State Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams will testify Tuesday morning before the Missouri House Special Committee on Disease Control and Prevention. Committee chairman Dr. Jon Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, wants to hear an update.

“You know we seem to be experiencing in the country and the state some of the highest case volumes it seems since the pandemic started,” Patterson says. “I want to kind of discuss how we’re responding to that.”

DHSS says about 120,000 new COVID tests have been conducted in the past week. Chairman Patterson praises DHSS, but notes he wants to make sure the state is doing all it can to get control of the coronavirus.

We’ll also learn new details at Tuesday’s hearing about how Missouri’s vaccine plan will be implemented statewide. Dr. Williams will be testifying about it, and answering questions from lawmakers in both parties.

Missouri has submitted its 111-page plan for administering the impending COVID vaccine to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Williams says the plan’s hallmark is collaboration and coordination.

Missouri’s plan is based upon CDC’s anticipation of a phased availability of vaccines within the state. It also notes the highest risk population for mortality from COVID is nursing home residents.

As for Chairman Patterson, he emphasizes that COVID is and must be a bipartisan issue.

“You know this virus doesn’t care whether you are a Democrat or a Republican. It doesn’t care whether you live in a city or you’re rural. So, our response has to be bipartisan,” says Patterson.

DHSS says the state has now had 209,197 COVID cases this year, along with 3,153 deaths.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s interview with Missouri House Special Committee on Disease Control and Prevention Chairman Dr. Jonathan Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit. It was recorded on November 6, 2020:

Missouri submits 111-page COVID-19 vaccine plan to CDC

October 15, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri has submitted its plan for administering the impending COVID vaccine to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The state will receive feedback from the CDC on the 111-page plan by October 26.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) logo (image courtesy of DHSS)

State Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams tells Capitol reporters that the plan’s hallmark is collaboration and coordination.

“It represents more than 100 state employees, a whole government approach, working with FQHC’s, working with hospitals, working with nursing homes, working with partners in the state and our federal partners,” Dr. Williams says.

FQHC’s are federally qualified health centers.

Missouri’s plan is based upon CDC’s anticipation of a phased availability of vaccines within the state.

Dr. Williams says Missouri will collaborate with health care systems and pharmacy partners to vaccinate long-term care facility staff and other health care workers.

“Our north star is to get this vaccine to those families, for their loved ones to get it, and at the same time to prevent community transmission so we can reduce the stress on our health care system,” he says.

Dr. Williams spoke to Capitol reporters at a Jefferson City press conference on Wednesday afternoon, where he was joined by Governor Mike Parson.

The plan says the highest risk population for mortality from COVID is nursing home residents, with 75 percent of Missouri’s COVID deaths happening in these facilities.

Missouri has about 425,000 health care workers. Dr. Williams says that as vaccine availability expands, efforts will be aimed at residents most at risk, the elderly and those with certain medical conditions.

The Missouri Hospital Association is praising the plan. They have been a partner in the vaccine planning effort.

“Missouri’s hospitals will be actively engaged in advocating for vaccination and administering the vaccine in the communities they serve,” Missouri Hospital Association President Herb Kuhn says, in a written statement.

Click here to read the 111-page plan.

The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) says the state has had 150,554 COVID cases this year, along with 2,442 deaths.

(VIDEO) Gov. Parson’s COVID-19 and legislative briefing

September 16, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

Gov. Mike Parson held a briefing today to update the state on Missouri’s COVID-19 response. He also gave his thoughts on the state Legislature’s work during today’s veto session and the completion of its special session work.

Key points from today’s briefing:

•The governor says he expects the federal government to send Missouri about three million rapid COVID-19 tests by the end of year.

•Parson responds to Missouri’s approach to COVID-19 not always matching up with what the White House Coronavirus Task Force recommends. He says he trusts Missouri’s data to drive decisions at the state level.

•Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director, Dr. Randall Williams, says the state has received its playbook from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the approach to take when a vaccine becomes available.

•The governor responds to the Missouri Legislature allowing his vetoes of bills to stand but only managing to pass two of seven crime bills he wanted. He says he’s content with the two bills that passed.

Dr. Birx praises Missouri’s box-in strategy on COVID-19 (AUDIO)

August 18, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The White House coronavirus response coordinator says Missouri is one of the 20 states she’s visited in the past six weeks, to provide guidance on COVID-19.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson and White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx speak to Missouri’s Cabinet and community leaders about COVID-19 on August 18, 2020 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

Dr. Deborah Birx participated in a roundtable discussion with Governor Mike Parson and Cabinet members in Jefferson City on Tuesday. They were joined by State Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) officials and by community and school leaders.

Dr. Birx also held a press conference on Tuesday with reporters at the Missouri Capitol, after the roundtable.

“This box-in strategy that is being used here in Missouri I think really is an important example of how to really protect vulnerable individuals,” Dr. Birx says.

Governor Parson says Dr. Birx originally introduced the “box-in” testing strategy to Missouri officials, during a conference call. The “box-in” testing strategy involves testing, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine.

Missouri officials have used the strategy in long-term care facilities and other locations. State Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams says 115,000 tests have been conducted in Missouri long-term care facilities, using the box-in strategy.

As of today, 468 long-term care facilities in Missouri have experienced at least one positive case of COVID-19, either among residents, staff or both.

DHSS says that since implementing box-in testing, Missouri has seen a significant decrease in its COVID-19 observed case fatality ratio. Governor Parson says that during April and May, more than seven percent of all observed cases each month in Missouri were fatal. In June, that number dropped to less than two percent. Parson says it’s now less than half a percent in August.

Dr. Birx says Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) staff are heading to Missouri, to help the Show-Me State in battling the COVID-19 pandemic. Missourinet asked Dr. Birx about the the CDC personnel, during the press conference.

“We have been sending out what we call these craft teams that work on COVID directly city by city. I believe they may be going to St. Louis, but I will look that up. Or Kansas City, to really go to cities before they get into serious situation,” says Dr. Birx.

DHSS says Missouri has now had 69,417 confirmed COVID cases, which is up from Monday’s number of 68,623. St. Louis has reported 181 COVID deaths, while St. Louis County has reported 705 deaths.

Kansas City has had 87 COVID deaths.

Dr. Birx emphasized several times the importance of wearing a mask and social distancing. She is also suggesting that Missouri follow Texas’ model, which requires masks in counties with more than 20 cases. Governor Parson says he will review the Texas model.

Dr. Birx is also encouraging you to participate in upcoming COVID-19 vaccine trials that will be conducted by researchers at Washington University’s School of Medicine and St. Louis University’s School of Medicine. She says it’s very important for people “from all different walks of life” to participate in those trials.

“Because when we complete those trials, we want to know that it’s going to work in a 70-year-old, we want to know it works in a farmer, we want to know it works in someone who lives in an inner city,” Dr. Birx says.

She says vaccine trial participants will be helping all of America. Researchers at the two universities expect to enroll about 3,000 participants in several vaccine trials. The two schools will participate in different trials.

Dr. Birx finished her press conference, by urging all Missourians to do their part in fighting the pandemic.

“It doesn’t matter if you are a Democrat or a Republican. You need to wear a mask and socially distance. You need to not have parties in your back yard and in your living room,” Dr. Birx says. “And we need to stop the spread of this virus because we can and we will together, while we work on developing a vaccine together.”

In addition to the Cabinet, numerous others participated in the roundtable discussion at the Governor’s Mansion. They included Jefferson City Mayor Carrie Tergin, Columbia Mayor Brian Treece, Jefferson City School Superintendent Larry Linthacum, Lincoln University President Jerald Woolfolk, Missouri School Board Association (MSBA) Executive Director Melissa Randol, Missouri Pork Association Executive Director Don Nikodim, and representatives from the Missouri Hospital Association and University Hospital in Columbia.

Click here to listen to the full 22-minute press conference from White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx, which took place at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on August 18, 2020:

Vice President Pence calls Missouri’s governor, to offer additional resources for pandemic

August 5, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor says the Show-Me State is one of the states the White House is concerned about, with increasing COVID-19 cases.

Governor Mike Parson briefs Missouri Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on August 5, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

During a Wednesday media briefing in Jefferson City, Governor Mike Parson (R) told Capitol reporters that Vice President Mike Pence called him on Sunday, to offer additional assistance and resources to battle the pandemic.

“We are grateful to both our vice president and to President Trump for their continuing support throughout this process,” Parson says.

The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) says Missouri has had 55,321 confirmed cases, up from 39,352 cases on July 24.

“So they’re basically saying we’re here, we’re going to send the CDC (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in there to help, and I encourage all the help we can get in that area to make sure we curve this as soon as we can,” says Parson.

During his media briefing, Governor Parson also expressed disappointment with the viral videos of weekend parties at the Lake of the Ozarks, without social distancing.

The governor emphasizes that he and other state officials have been urging residents to practice social distancing, for months. Parson is urging you to take responsibility.

“That virus is out there, and it’s not going anywhere right now,” Parson says.

The governor has also announced that $7.5 million of the state’s coronavirus relief fund has been allocated to a cost-share program with local counties, to help schools cover costs for personal protective equipment (PPE), and cleaning and medical supplies for school buildings and buses.

Are Missouri’s public swimming pools safe to use during COVID-19 outbreak?

May 26, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

Some Missouri families might be thinking about skipping trips to the public swimming pool this summer since the coronavirus continues to make waves. The CDC’s new guidelines for public swimming pools say parents should consider whether their children can stay six feet away from people they don’t live with and, if not, don’t take the kids to the pool.

Are Missouri’s public swimming pools safe to use during COVID-19 outbreak?

Chezney Schulte, the communicable disease coordinator for the Cole County Health Department, says if people are practicing social distance and pools are properly maintained, the chances of getting the virus are low.

“It is eyes, nose and mouth transfer of droplets from an infected person. So, certainly that could occur in the pool if you’re coughing or sneezing or sputtering on someone that’s close by. But as far as the virus living in the pool, that’s not thought to be a readily mode of transmission from person to person,” she says. “It’s understood that just because of the chemical balance in the pool water, if those are maintained properly, that that would not be a high-risk environment for transmission of the virus. And so, it really is just maintaining that physical distance from others.”

Missouri does not have capacity limits for public swimming pools but some cities and counties might have stricter rules to follow.

Schulte also encourages pools to disinfect frequently-used surfaces between use or often, including concession areas, pool chairs and tables.

“It’s highly beneficial to get our kids and our families back active, especially in these outdoor environments and things like that in the summer heat but it’s good to just understand what you can do at an individual level to decrease your risk no matter what activity you might be involved in,” says Schulte.

The Lake of the Ozarks has been making national headlines for pictures and a video showing an unidentified business with people crowded into the pool and bar area over the weekend. Schulte says simple precautions go a long way in the fight against the coronavirus.

“A crowded environment at a pool or interacting with people outside your family group, people you might not know their health status of or anything like that, that becomes a more high-risk activity. So, you have so much of the control there of your risk of exposure to COVID-19,” says Schulte.

Local health departments are in charge of enforcing the statewide requirements.

Missouri prison system reports first COVID-19 related death

April 7, 2020 By Missourinet Contributor

St. Joseph city officials in northwest Missouri report the first death in Buchanan County from complications brought on by COVID-19; the former St. Joseph state prisoner transferred to Kansas City. The Missouri Department of Corrections made the announcement.

City officials say the prisoner was transferred to St. Joseph for an unrelated illness that required isolation, which the prison in Cameron could not accommodate. The prisoner was actually diagnosed with COVID-19 when transferred to a Kansas City area hospital March 19th. Though he later tested negative twice for coronavirus, he remained hospitalized for other medical conditions.

Corrections officials say he was the first prisoner diagnosed with the virus. The prisoner had been isolated in a negative airflow chamber at Western Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in St. Joseph since March 4th after being monitored for a suspected respiratory condition. No other prisoner had contact with the inmate. No staff has reported symptoms.

Corrections officials say medical and custody staff followed all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. All rooms and vehicles the offender occupied were immediately sanitized, according to the Department of Corrections. All staff who came into contact with the infected prisoner have been notified.

By Brent Martin of Missourinet affiliate KFEQ in St. Joseph

How will the coronavirus affect Missouri’s state budget?

March 13, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

The Missouri Legislature is working on a more than $30 billion state budget for the fiscal year beginning in July. Lawmakers are crafting a balanced budget they are required to pass in early May. Now they are faced with the effects of COVID-19, often referred to as the coronavirus, and how it will creep its way into the current and future state budgets and state revenues.

Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia

Several events, businesses and schools in Missouri have taken precautionary steps in an effort to avoid an outbreak of COVID-19. Missouri cities hosting major college and high school basketball tournaments will take a hit for getting the games called off or limiting the number of fans allowed, not to mention the St. Louis Blues having the plug pulled on the team’s season.

Missouri will miss out on all those fans once coming through its airports, spending money to hitch a ride to the events, crashing at a hotel, shopping, eating, and drinking. Speaking of drinking, Kansas City and St. Louis have both canceled their St. Patty’s Day parades. That’s a lot of green beer sales not bringing in as much green paper.

The financial impact of these events collecting far less money than planned will trickle down to the state level. There might also be a growing state-level price tag for coronavirus response for agencies like the State Health and Human Services Department. It all depends on how the disease plays out.

During a press conference Thursday at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City, Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, says lawmakers might have to make some tougher decisions.

“This is unchartered waters for us and so we’re going to take it as it comes,” says Rowden. “It’s probably two-fold: One, we figure out how much money we’ve got coming in and obviously what we have to spend. But also, potentially what dollars need to be utilized and resourced for the purposes of dealing with this particular issue.”

Rowden says Gov. Mike Parson and legislative budget leaders did not reach a consensus revenue estimate – an agreement on how much they project the state to earn in revenue during the upcoming state budget year. The estimate helps lawmakers shape the budget.

“At least maybe a silver lining in that, which is not something we are celebrating, but it provides Senator (Dan) Hegeman a little bit of flexibility when the House budget comes over to recognize, I think we were under the general assumption that the economy has been good. And so, we thought if anything, that we might have the chance to spend a little more money than the House did on our priorities. But if that’s reversed, based on the information that we have, based on the economic realities of the coronavirus and the backlash, we’ll have to deal with that as well,” he says.

The Missouri Constitution requires state lawmakers to approve a balanced budget by early May.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States has more than 1,200 cases of COVID-19. So far, 36 people have died from the illness. Globally, the virus has sickened more than 125,000 people and killed about 4,600. About two-thirds of the cases originate in China.

So far, Missouri has tested 73 patients for the virus and that number continues to grow.

Thursday, Gov. Parson announced the state’s second “presumptive positive” case of the respiratory illness is a Springfield patient in their 20s who recently traveled to Austria.

Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a positive case involving a St. Louis County woman in her 20’s who recently studied abroad in Italy.