4 p.m. COVID-19 update

IN THE AFTERMATH OF THATSHOOTING WE CONTINUE TO TRACKCORONAVIRUS IN OUR AREA.THIS IS THE POSITIVITY RATE INKANSAS AND MISSOURI RIGHT NOW2.9% OF TESTS IN KANSAS ARECOMING BACK POSITIVE.THAT’S AN INCREASE.THE RATE HASN’T BEEN ABOVE.SENT FOR MORE THAN TWO WEEKS NOWIN MISSOURI 4.5% OF TESTS ARECOMING BACK POSITIVE.THAT’S FLAT.THE RATE HAS BEEN BELOW 5% FORTHREE WEEKS NOW A SCHOOLS WILLCONTINUE TO REQUIRE MASKS THEBOARD OF EDUCATION MADE THATDECISION TODAY AFTER A PARENTASK THAT THEIR CHILD BE EXEMPTFROM WEARING A MASK.THE DISTRICT RECOMMENDED PARENTSWHO OPPOSE THE MANDATE SUBMIT ANOPT-OUT FORM THE STUDENT MUSTDEMONSTRATE A MEDICAL NEED THATPREVENTS THEM FROM WEARING AMASK.MISSOURI’S TOP DOCTOR SAYS ONEOF THE COVID-19 VARIANTS ISBECOMING MORE WIDESPREAD IN THESTATE AND THIS VERSION IS MORECONTAGIOUS KMBC9S, MICHAELMAHONEY HAS MORE NOW ON WHATTHAT MEANS.IN SHORT IT MEANS THATSCIENTISTS DON’T THINK THE STATEIS OUT OF THE WOODS YET INPARTICULAR.IT’S A VERY FIRST DISCOVERY OFTHE UNITED KINGDOM AND NOWSHOWING UP IN MISSOURI TESTING.WE STARTED IN 16 OF THE 18LOCATIONS.WE WERE ABLE TO GET RESULTS FROMTHIS WEEK.INDICATING THAT IT IS ISWIDESPREAD.IT’S GOT ABOUT 50% OR MOREINFECTIOUS NATURE TO IT THAN THEMAIN ONE THAT WE’VE BEEN DEALINGWITH.THIS IS WHERE THEY’RE FINDING ITIN THE WASTEWATER AND SEWAGE INPLACES AROUND MISSOURI INCLUDINGTHIS REGION.IT’S COMING FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVETHE VIRUS, BUT PERHAPS NOT THESYMPTOMS YET SAMPLES ARE GOINGTO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT LABSAND TO LABS AT THE UNIVERSITY OFMISSOURI COLUMBIA.THE STATE THINKS THEIR HEALTHDEPARTMENT AND MU ARE ON THEFRONT EDGE OF DETECTING THESECOVID-19 VARIANTS THROUGHWASTEWATER TESTING AND THE WAYTO COMBAT THE VARIANTS IS THESAME STRATEGY FACE MASK SOCIALDISTANCING AND VACCINATIONS.THEY ARE ABOUT TO TAKE AN EVENCLOSER LOOK TO THE STATUS OF THEVARIANCE AROUND HERE.WE’LL BE LEARNING MORE AND MOREABOUT THE KANSAS CITY REGION INWEEKS TO COME AS THE MISSOURIHEALTH DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING ATTH IN WASTEWATER FROM KANSASCITY FOR VARIANTS OF THECOVID-19 VIRUS MICHEAL MAHONEYKMBC9 NEWS THE UK COVID-19VARIANT IS THE ONE THEY’RESEEING FREQUENTLY IN MISSOURI.NOW, THERE ARE SIGNS THAT NEWSTRAINS COMING FROM CALIFORNIAARE ALSO SHOWING UP INWASTEWATER.TESTING JACKSON COUNTY’S HEALTHDIRECTOR SAYS SHE’S PLEASED BYTHE PROGRESS THE COUNTY’S MAKINGON VACCINATIONS BRIDGET SCHAFERSAYS SUPPLY ISSUES HAVE CLEAREDUP QUITE A BIT FROM EARLIER INTHE YEAR WHEN THE COUNTY GETDOSES SOME WEEKS.SHE SAYS BY TOMORROW THE COUNTYWILL HAVE GIVEN OUT 50,000SHOTS.IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO PLANAND EXECUTE VACCINATION EVENTSAND CLINICS WITHOUT THATKNOWLEDGE OF WHAT WE’D BEGETTING WEEK TO WEEK.NOW A VACCINE SUPPLY ISINCREASING BOTH AN AMOUNT ANDWHAT’S BEING DISTRIBUTED TOPUBLIC HEALTH.WE WE ARE YOU KNOW MOREOPTIMISTIC AND WHAT WE’RE SEEINGNOW.ABOUT 28% OF RESIDENTS INJACKSON COUNTY HAVE HAD AT LEAST