Noon COVID-19 update

LAWMAKERS ON EDGE-- ON EDGE.THANKS FOR JOINING US AT NOON.I’M ROB HUGHES.MISSOURI HOSPITALS ARE TREATING989 COVID-19 PATIENTS.THAT’S A 64% DROP SINCE THEFIRST WEEK OF JANUARY.IN THE KANSAS CITY METRO, THEDAILY AVERAGE OF NEWHOSPITALIZATIONS IS DOWN TO 96.BUT THE METRO’S REPORTING ANUNUSUALLY HIGH NUMBER OF NEWCASES, MORE THAN 5600.THE MID AMERICA REGIONAL COUNCILSAYS THAT’S BECAUSE OF A DELAYIN A MONTH’S WORTH OF DATA FROMONE COUNTY.A CLAY COUNTY, MISSOURI,INITIATIVE TO GET COVID-19 SHOTSIN TO ARMS, CONTINUES TODAY.KMBC 9’S MARTIN AUGUSTINE IS THENORTHLAND, WHERE OPERATION SAFEIS TODAY, AND SO FAR IT’SVACCINATED MORE THAN 10,000PEOPLE.MARTIN: IT’S BEEN A SUCCESSFULCAMPAIGN SO FAR, WITH A LOT OFWORK TO DO, INCLUDING THE SECOND-- NOW THAT IT HAS THE SECONDVACCINATION CLINIC OUT OF FOURTHIS WEEK HERE AT THE CERNERCAMPUS AT 210 HIGHWAY AND ROCKCREEK, WHICH IS RIGHT ACROSS THESTREET FROM NORTH KANSAS CITYHOSPITAL.OPERATION SAFE OFFERSAPPOINTMENT ONLY CLINICS.NO WALK UPS.THE FIRST STEP IN ARRANGING ANAPPOINTMENTIS COMPLETING A VACCINE INTERESTFORM.YOU’LL FIND THOSE ON THE CLAYCOUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT’SWEBSITE, CLAY HEALTH.COM, UNDERTHE OPERATION SAFE HEADING.A LOT OF YOU ARE DOING THAT.80,000 SUBMISSIONS, NEARLY10,500 VACCINATEED.-- HAVE RECEIVED A SHOT.IT IS A COORDINATED EFFORT BYCITIES, HOSPITALS, AND OTHERENTITIES IN CLAY COUNTY WITH THEGOAL OF VACCINATING AS MANYPEOPLE AS POSSIBLEALL OF THAT STARTS WITH FILLINGOUT THAT FORM.ONCE YOU DO THAT, IT ALLOWSOPERATION TO’S -- OPERATION SAFETO FIGURE OUT IF YOU AREELIGIBLE FOR A SHOT AND IF YOUARE, ARRANGE TO MAKE THATAPPOINTMENT.MARTIN AUGUSTINE, KMBC.DONNA: MARTIN HAS LINKS TO THATFACEBOOK PAGES.YOU’LL ALSO FIND THEM ON OURKMBC FACEBOOK PAGE.KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI’S VACCINETASK FORCE WILL PRESENT ITSRECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITYCOUNCIL THIS AFTERNOON.THE MEETING STARTS AT 2:00.MAYOR QUINTON LUCAS ASSEMBLEDTHE TASK FORCE LAST MONTH IN ANEFFORT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODYGETS A FAIR SHOT AT GETTINGVACCINATED AGAINST THECORONAVIRUS.TODAY, GOVERNOR PARSON GOT AFIRSTHAND LOOK AT THEVACCINATION EFFORT IN MISSOURI.HE VISITED TWO MASS VACCINATIONSEVENTS IN ST.

LOUIS.EARLIER, HE VISITED PFIZER’SCHESTERFIELD FACILITY, HE’LLGIVE AN UPDATE FROM THE STAT-- THE STATE CAPITOL, SOON.THE GOVERNOR’S STANDING BY HISCLAIMS THE VACCINE HAS BEENADMINISTERED EQUALLY ANDEFFICIENTLY TO MISSOURIANSACROSS THE STATE DESPITE NUMBERSSHOWING A SMALLER PERCENTAGE OFDOSES GOING TO LARGERCOMMUNITIES BASED ON POPULATION.HERE IN THE METRO THE GOVERNORSAYS WE GET MORE THAN 14,000DOSES PER WEEK.IT’S SENT TO PLACES LIKE TRUMANMEDICAL CENTER LIBERTY HOSPITALST LUKES HCA AND THE CASSREGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER.TODAY KANSAS GOVERNOR LAURA, KELLY WILL MAKE ANANNOUNCEMENT ON VACCINE EFFORTSIN THE STATE.THAT’S AT 4:00 P.M.WE’LL HAVE ANY UPDATES ON AIRAND ONLINE AT KMBC.COM.PLANNERS FOR CITY, AND STATE,MASS VACCINATION CLINICS ARESTARTING TO SEE A REPEATPROBLEM.ORGANIZERS AT CERNER’S MASSVACCINATION EVENT SAY PEOPLEHAVE BEEN SHOWING UPUNEXPECTEDLY, WHICH IS CREATINGA BACKLOG.CASS COUNTY, ALSO SAW A FEWPEOPLE DO THE SAME.BUT ORGANIZERS SAY MOST PEOPLETHERE HAD APPOINTMENTS SCHEDULEDAND EVERYTHING ELSE THEY NEEDEDTO RECEIVE A SHO