7:30 a.m. COVID-19 update

ANYTHING SO MUCH A PRESIDENTBRIAN BIDEN BREAKS ENCOURAGINGNEWS IN THE CORONAVIRUS FIGHTMOVING UP THE TIMELINE TO GETEVERY ADULT IN AMERICA AVACCINE.MEANWHILE A COUPLE OF STATES AREGOING AGAINST RECOMMENDATIONSFOR DOCTORS ROLLING BACK HEALTHAND SAFETY RULES A B C’S IKEYJOSHI IS ALL FROM WASHINGTON.THIS MORNING A SURPRISING ROLLBACK IT IS NOW TIME.TO OPEN TEXAS 100% TEXASGOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT, MAKING THEANNOUNCEMENT ENDING THESTATEWIDE MASS MANDATE ANDDECLARING TEXAS BUSINESSES CANFULLY REOPEN NEXT WEEK.THE DAILY CASE AVERAGE HASINCREASED 3.4% FROM A WEEK AGO.DESPITE THE RISE AT LEAST ELEVENSTATES HAVE EITHER RECENTLYLOOSEN RESTRICTIONS OR PLAN TOIN THE COMING WEEK THIS MORNINGNEW UNPUBLISHED STUDIES FOUNDTHE BRAZILIAN VARIANT MORECONTAGIOUS AND MAY MAY BE ABLETO REINFECT PEOPLE WHOPREVIOUSLY TED COVID I REMAINDEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT APOTENTIAL SHIFT IN THETRAJECTORY OF THE PANDEMIC THEDECLARATION FORCING HOUSTONMETHODIST THE LEADING TEXASHOSPITAL TO PUT OUT A STATEMENTAGAINST THE ORDER ASKING ALLTEXANS TO KEEP WEARING YOURMASKS.NOW’S NOT THE TIME TO LET UP.I’VE ASKED THE COUNTRY TO WEARMASKS FOR MY FIRST 100 DAYS INOFFICE.NOW’S NOT THE TIME TO LET OURGUARD DOWN WHILE STATES AREACTIVELY BATTLING COVIDRESTRICTIONS.THERE’S BIG NEWS ON THE VACCINEFRONT.THIS COUNTRY WILL HAVE ENOUGHVACCINE SUPPLY.I’LL SAY IT AGAIN FOR EVERYADULT IN AMERICA BY THE END OFMAY THAT’S PROGRESS PRESIDENTBIDEN UTILIZING THE DEFENSEPRODUCTION ACT ANNOUNCE LIKE AHISTORIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEENRIVAL PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIESJOHNSON & JOHNSON AND MERRICK INORDER TO PRODUCE MORE VACCINESEARLIER THAN EXPECTED GOING TOADD CONSIDERABLY TO OURCAPABILITIES.BOTH NEAR AND IN THE LONG TERMTHE PRESIDENT ALSO PUSHING TOREOPEN SCHOOLS THE FIRST LADYWHO’S A TEACHER HERSELF GETTINGINVOLVED JILL BIDEN ALONG WITHEDUCATION SECRETARY AND MIGUELCARDONA WILL VISIT SCHOOLS INCONNECTICUT AND, PENNSYLVANIA.THE PRESIDENT ALSO SAID PRE-KTHROUGH 12 TEACHERS STAFFERS ANDCHILDCARE WORKERS WILL GETPRIORITY FOR VACCINATIONS.HE WANTS EVERY EDUCATOR TORECEIVE THE VACCINE BY THE ENDOF THE MONTH.WE EXPECT A NEW CORONAVIRUS CASENUMBERS TODAY FROM BOTH, KANSASAND MISSOURI HERE ARE THE LATESTFIGURES MISSOURI REPORTED 266NEW CASES AND 19 NEW DEATHSTUESDAY.THAT MEANS MORE THAN FOURHUNDRED SEVENTY EIGHT THOUSANDTOTAL CASES AND MORE THANSEVENTY NINE HUNDRED DEATHS OFOFFICIALS SAY SLIGHTLY MORE THAN14% OF THE POPULATION HASRECEIVED AT LEAST ONE DOSE OFTHE VACCINE IN KANSAS HEALTHOFFICIALS REPORTED 639 NEW CASESAT EIGHT NEW DEATHS ON MONDAY.THAT ADDS UP TO MORE THAN TWOHUNDRED.NINETY FOUR THOUSAND CASES AREMORE THAN 4,700 DEATH SINCE THEPANDEMIC STARTED 13 AND A HALFPERCENT OF THE STATE’S RECEIVEDAT LEAST ONE VACCINE DOSE NOW,KANSAS UPDATES ITS NUMBERS EVERYMONDAY, WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY.IT IS 735 AND KANSAS CITY,MISSOURI MAYOR QUINTON LUCAS ISASKING FOR FEDERAL HELP IN THEFIGHT AGAINST THE VIRUS.HE WANTS FEMA TO HOST A MASSVACCINATION EVENT IN THE CITY’SURBAN CORE WHERE LUCAS SAYS THESTATE HAS RELIED HEAVILY ONHOSPITALS TO DISTRIBUTE VACCINESIN KANSAS CITY, WHICH HEMAINTAINS HIS LEFT SOME PEOPLESTRUGGLING TO FIND A DOSE.HE SAYS THIS HAS TO BE EASIER.WE ARE GOING THROUGH EVERYPROCESS POSSIBLE EVERY CLEARPROCESS POSSIBLE AND MAKING SURETHAT IT IS NOT A GAME OF CHESSAND FIGURING OUT HOW YOU CAN GETYOUR VACCINE.WE HAVE NOT BEEN CLEAR ENOUGH.WE HAVE NOT BEEN A TERRIBLEENOUGH AND EXPECT THAT TO CHANGEEFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.THE JOHNSON COUNTY KANSAS HEALTHDEPARTMENT.MEANWHILE IS OPENING UP COVID-19VACCINE APPOINTMENTS FOR THOSEOF YOU WHO ARE 65 AND OLDER GIVEME SIGHS, BUT AUGUSTINE IS LIVEPWITH WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.HI MARTIN.GOOD MORNING.ROBBERY LIVE HERE OUTSIDE OF THEUNIVERSITY OF KANSAS HOSPITALONE OF SIX HEALTH SYSTEMS INJOHNSON COUNTY KANSAS WHERE YOUCAN GET YOUR COVID SHOT WILLSHOW YOU THE LIST OF THE REST INJUST A MOMENT.BUT FIRST IF YOU’RE 65 NOW INJOHNSON COUNTY KANSAS, YOU CANGET AN A VACCINE MAKE ANAPPOINTMENT FOR ONE BECAUSEYOU’RE IN THE PHASE 2ELIGIBILITY GROUP AS DEFINED BYJOHNSON COUNTY, BUT WHAT YOUNEED TO DO IS FILL OUT ACOVID-19 VACCINE INTEREST FORMWITH THE JOHNSON COUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENT IF YOU HAVEN'TALREADY DONE, SO OR YOU CAN CALLCALL THAT INTO THE HEALTHDEPARTMENT AT NINE ONE THREESEVEN ONE FIVE TWENTY EIGHTTWENTY EIGHTH NINETEEN.EXCUSE ME THERE AGAIN THATCOVID-19 INTEREST FORM IS ON THECOUNTY WEBSITE AS WELL.NOW THE HEALTH SYSTEMS IN THECOUNTY OFFERING UP THESE SHOTSBESIDES THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSASADVENT HEALTH MENORAH MEDICAL,OVERLAND PARK REGIONAL OLATHEHEALTH, AND ST.LUKE’S NOW THE VACCINE SUPPLIESDO REMAIN LIMITED.SO YOU HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN MINDWHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO SET UP ANAPPOINTMENT TO GET THAT VACCINE,BUT SOME GOOD NEWS FROM THEJOHNSON COUNTY HEALTH.AND IN ADDITION TO THE ALLOTMENTOF PFIZER VACCINE THAT IT’SGETTING FROM THE STATE OFKANSAS.IT’S ALSO GOING TO BE PICKING UPA SHIPMENT THIS WEEK OF THAT NEWJOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE.THAT’S A ONE DOSE VACCINE.SO IT’S A QUESTION.YOU SHOULD BE ASKING WHEN YOU’REGETTING IN THE QUEUE FOR YOURVACCINE.I HAVE A LINK TO THE JOHNSONCOUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT WEBSITEON MY TWITTER PAGE AND MAKEKMBC9 NEWS FACEBOOK PAGE JUST TOMAKE IT EASY FOR YOU TO GETTHERE TO FILL OUT THAT FORMREPORTING LIVE MARTIN AUGUSTINEKMBC 9 NEWS MARTIN.THANK YOU SO MUCH.WELL MISERY IS PLANNING TO GETSOME 50,000 DOSES OF THE NEWSHOT JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINETHIS WEEK WAS THE VIALS AREGOING TO COMMUNITY PROVIDERS ANDSMALLER HEALTH CARE OPERATIONSMANY OF WHICH HAVE YET TORECEIVE ANY LARGE SUPPLY OFYEAH, I THINK I THINK WE’REGOING TO BE TARGETING MORE AREASTHAT WE HAVEN’T BEEN IN BEFOREWHETHER THOSE BE HEALTH CARECENTERS WHERE THERE WILL BE MOREPHARMACIES.KEVIN OF MY PARSON THEY’RE ALSOSAYS THE STATES IN THE EARLYSTAGES OF SETTING UP A MASSVACCINATION SITE AT ARROWHEADSTADIUM.THAT SHOULD BE COORDINATED BYTHE MISSOURI NATIONAL GUARD.IN WYANDOTTE COUNTY, KANSAS,ANYONE 85 AND OLDER CAN NOW GETA CORONAVIRUS VACCINE WITHOUT ANAPPOINTMENT.THE UNIFIED GOVERNMENT NOW HASWALK-IN CLINICS AT A COUPLE OFLOCATIONS LIKE THE OLD BEST BUYON PARALLEL PARKWAY AND THE OLDKMART YOUR 78TH AND STATE AVENUERESIDENCE CAN COME IN ANYTIMEMONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM 9 TO3.YOU DO NEED TO HAVE AN IDSHOWING PROOF OF AGE AND PROVINGYOU LIVE IN THE COUNTY.WELL DOUGLAS COUNTY KANSAS HASSET ASIDE 10% OF ITS VACCINEDOSES FOR PEOPLE WHO WOULDOTHERWISE HAVE A HARD TIMEGETTING THEIR SHOTS.THE PLAN INCLUDES SETTING UPWEEKLY CLINICS AT HEARTLANDCOMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER INLAWRENCE CLINICS ARE FOR PEOPLEWHO DO NOT HAVE RELIABLE ACCESSTO TRANSPORTATION INTERNETACCESS OR EVEN A HEALTH CARESYSTEM 800 PEOPLE WILL HAVEGOTTEN THEIR SHOTS AT THECLINICS BY END OF THE WEEK.WELL SIFTING THROUGH ALL THEDIFFERENT VACCINE RULESREGULATIONS AND EVENTS.OF COURSE, WE KNOW IT CAN BECONFUSING AND THAT IS WHY 1K YOUMASTER STUDENT IS STEPPING UP TOHELP OUR EAT HANS SET UP AVACCINE WEBSITE.IT SHOWS THE AVAILABILITY OF THEVACCINE IN THE CASEY METRO FROMPHARMACIES AND HEALTHDEPARTMENTS, AND IT ALSO BREAKSDOWN THE CURRENT VACCINE PHASESIN BOTH STATES ON SAYS THATPEOPLE HAVE VISITED THE SITETHOUSANDS OF TIMES AND HE HOPESIT HELPS.I THINK THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TODO ITS PART IN HELPING, YOUKNOW, EVERYONE GET VACCINATED,YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT’S THE KEYTO STOPPING THE SPREAD.YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE WEBSITEFOR YOURSELF.WE HAVE LINKED IT FOR YOU ONKMBC.COM.WE DO ANY OF YOU HAVE QUESTIONSABOUT THE VACCINE AS WELL AS THEVACCINATION PROCESS NOW THATEVERY DAY WE ARE ADDING ANSWERSTO OUR WEBSITE ALONG WITH STATEAND COUNTY SPECIFIC INFORMATIONON VACCINE SOME LOCAL HEALTHOFFICIALS THAT INCLUDES WHO WILLQUALIFY FOR A VACCINE AND HOWAND WHEN TO SIGN UP YOU CAN FIND