Noon COVID-19 update

ON AIR AND ON LINE AS HEPREPARES TO COMPLETE THE FINALSTEP IN THE ELECTION.TURNING TO THE CORONAVIRUSIMPACT IN THE METRO.MISSOURI JUST DECLARED 400,000CORONAVIRUS CASES REPORTING OVER2300 NEW CASES IN ITS LATESTUPDATE.WE PLAN TO GET AN UPDATE FROMKANSAS TODAY.MISSOURI CALCULATES ITS TESTPOSITIVITY RATE ON A WEEKLYBASIS.RIGHT NOW, AN AVERAGE OF 19 1/2%OF TESTS ARE COMING BACKPOSITIVE.KANSAS CALCULATES ITS NUMBERSMONTHLY AND RIGHT NOW THEPOSITIVITY RATE IS OVER 12%.THE C.D.C.

SAYS SO FAR, MORETHAN 89,000 PEOPLE IN MISSOURIHAVE RECEIVED A CORONAVIRUSVACCINE DOSE.STATES RECEIVE MORE THAN 218,000DOSES.MORE THAN 19,000 PEOPLE HAVEGOTTEN THEIR FIRST SHOT INKANSAS.STATE HAS GOTTEN MORE THAN114,000 DOSES.AND HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY THATMEDICAL PROVIDERS STILL NEED TOBE TRAINED ON THE C.D.C.'SREPORTING SYSTEM TO MAKE SURETHAT NUMBERS ARE ACCURATELYREPORTED.MEANWHILE, HEALTH OFFICIALS ANDELECTED LEADERS IN KANSAS AREREFLECTING ON THE LESSONS WE'VELEARNED SO FAR IN PANDEMIC.KANSAS GOVERNOR LAURA KELLY SAYSIT'S CLEAR A PATCHWORK RESPONSETO THE CRISIS DOESN'T WORK FORKANSAS.IN JUNE, STATE'S LEGISLATUREGAVE THE STATE'S 105 COUNTIES TOWANT OUT OF KELLY'S EMERGENCYORDERS INCLUDING THINGS LIKEMASK MANDATES.MORE COUNTIES FELL IN LINE WITHA SECOND ROUND OF EMERGENCYORDERS IN THE FALL.AND MEANWHILE, THE COMMUNITYBLOOD CENTER OF GREATER KANSASCITY IS TESTING ALL BLOODDONATIONS FOR COVID-19ANTIBODIES.KMBC'S MARTIN AUGUSTINE EXPLAINSWHY.MARTIN: IF A DONOR'S BLOOD HASTHE ANTIBODIES, THEN THE PLASMACAN BE USED TO MAKE CONVALESCENTPLASMA THAT HELPS COVID-19PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED RECOVERFROM THE VIRUS.THE TESTING FOR THOSE ANTIBODIESWILL HAPPEN THROUGH JANUARY 31STON BLOOD GIVEN AT THE COMMUNITYBLOOD CENTER'S SEVEN DONORCENTERS AND SELECT COMMUNITYCENTER BLOOD DRIVES.IF YOUR BLOOD HAS THE COVID-19ANTIBODIES, THE BLOOD CENTERWILL LET YOU KNOW BY MAIL WITHINTWO WEEKS.THIS UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCEOF DONATING BLOOD, LEADERSHIP OFTHE COMMUNITY BLOOD CENTER HASFOR WEEKS BEEN TELLING US BLOODSURPRISE ARE TIGHT, SITUATIONTHAT'S BEEN MADE WORSE BY THEPANDEMIC.UP ON MY KMBC Facebook PAGE, IHAVE A LINK TO DONATE BLOOD ANDSIGN UP TO DO IT.ROB: AN ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR INJACKSON COUNTY HAS DIED OFCOVID-19 COMPLICATIONS AT JUST32 YEARS OLD.JO ELLEN ENGELBART WORKED IN THEPROSECUTOR'S OFFICE FOR SIXYEARS AND HAD BEEN WORKING INTHE SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT.WHILE SHE TESTED POSITIVE FORTHE VIRUS LAST MONTH AND DIEDTWO WEEKS LATER ON SATURDAY.SHE WAS 6 MONTHS PREGNANT AT THETIME SHE TESTED POSITIVE ANDHELD ON LONG ENOUGH FOR DOCTORSTO DELIVER HER SON, ROSS.