4 p.m. COVID-19 update

THANKS BRIAN.WE HAVE NEW DETAILS NOW IN THECORONAVIR.PANDEMIC LAWMAKERS AND DOCTORSBELIEVE THERE’S LIGHT AT THE ENDOF THE COVID-19 TUNNEL, BUT THATDOESN’T MEAN WE CAN LET OURGUARD DOWN JUST YET.KMBC9’S MATT PRITCHARD IS INWASHINGTON WITH THAT STORY.EXPERTS SAY THIS COMES DOWN TOVACCINATIONS THE MORE SHOTS THATARE GIVEN THE QUICKER WE GETBACK TO NORMAL BUT SEVERALOBSTACLES STILL REMAIN A SENSEOF OPTIMISM FROM CONGRESSIONALLEADER.WE ARE ON THE PATH.TO FINALLY DEFEAT THIS VIRUS.WE’RE FINALLY STARTING TO SEE ALIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNELVACCINE TOTALS ARE CLIMBINGNATIONWIDE WITH NEARLY 200MILLION SHOTS ADMINISTERED ANDOVER 75 MILLION AMERICANS FULLYVACCINATED EVEN SO SOMELAWMAKERS.SAY THE PROCESS OF EASINGRESTRICTIONS IS MOVING TOOSLOWLY.WHAT OBJECTIVE OUTCOME DO WEHAVE TO REACH BEFORE BEFOREAMERICANS GET THEIR LIBERTY ANDFREEDOMS BACK.YOU’RE INDICATING LIBERTY ANDFREEDOM.I LOOK AT IT AS A PUBLIC HEALTHMEASURE.EVENT PEOPLE FROM DYING OUTSIDEHEALTH EXPERTS AGREE WITH DR.FAUCI SAYING NOW ISN’T THE TIMETO LET UP ON OUR EFFORTS NOT OUTOF DANGER.WE IT’S A RACE BETWEENVACCINATION AND THE SPREAD OFTHE VIRUS.I’M TIRED OF THIS RESPONSE ANDI’M TIRED OF THIS PANDEMIC, BUTUNFORTUNATELY THE VIRUS ISN’TTIRED CASES ARE STILL HIGH WITH60,000 PER DAY ON AVERAGE ALONGWITH THE GROWING THREAT OFVACCINE HESITANCY.NOTHING.SHOULD DETRACT FROM THE FACT ANAMERICANS NEED TO GET VACCINATEDTHE PAUSE OF JOHNSON & JOHNSON’SCOVID-19 VACCINE DUE TO A SMALLNUMBER OF BLOOD CLOT CASES COULDDETER SOME FROM GETTING THEIRSHOT A DOCTOR SAY THEYUNDERSTAND THOSE WORRIES, BUT ATTHE SAME TIME THE SYSTEM IS HATIS OPERATING EXACTLY THE WAY ITSHOULD IT PICKED UP A VERY RAREEVENT IN WASHINGTON, MATTPRITCHARD KMBC9 NEWS.CURRENTLY THE MOST COMMONVARIANCE HERE IN THE US.ARE THOSE FIRST DETECTED IN THEUNITED KINGDOM?AFRICA AND BRAZIL HERE ARE THEVACCINATION RATES IN, KANSAS ANDMISSOURI IN KANSAS.35% OF THE POPULATION HAS GOTTENAT LEAST ONE DOSE IN MISSOURI.IT’S 32.8% POSTAL WORKERS HAVESTAYED ON THE JOB THROUGHOUTTHIS PANDEMIC AND NOW MANY AREFINALLY GETTING VACCINATED.KMBC9’S EMILY HALLWICK SHOWS USHOW A NEW PARTNERSHIP IS GIVINGLOCAL USPS EMPLOYEES EASY ACCESSTO THE VACCINE.1000 US POSTAL SERVICE EMPLOYEESIN KANSAS CITY WILL BEVACCINATED THROUGH TWO CLINICSWITH THE SHOTS COMING TO THEMRIGHT HERE AT THEIR WORKPLACE.THEY’RE ENGAGING WITH A LOT OFPEOPLE THE MALE HAS NEVERSTOPPED CATHERINE WILEY WITH THESAMUEL U ROGERS HEALTH CENTERSAYS BRINGING VACCINES TO THEDIVERSE WORKFORCE IN THE URBANAREA ALIGNS WITH THEIR MISSION,AND THE REALITY IS BLACK ANDBROWN PEOPLE WHO ARE PRIMARY INTHIS COMMUNITY ARE DISPRATELYAFFECTED AND WE’VE BEEN HELPINGTO GET THOSE PEOPLE VACCINATEDPOSTAL WORKERS.MISSOURI HAVE BEEN ELIGIBLE FORTHE VACCINE FOR A MONTH, BUTAROUND 2,600 POSTAL WORKERS INTHE CASEY AREA.STILL HAVEN’T GOTTEN THE SHOT.I THINK UNFORTUNATELY THEPROCESS HAS BEEN A LITTLECONFUSING FOR SOME PEOPLE THEURBAN LEAGUE OF GREATER KC ISHELPING FACILITATE MODERNACLINICS ON SITE AT THE USPSDISTRIBUTION CENTER ON CLEVELANDAVENUE PRESIDENT.GWEN.GRANT SAYS, IT’S A CHANCE FOREDUCATION ABOUT THE VACCINE.WE ARE FOCUSING ON ADDRESSINGVACCINE HESITANCY WITH THE GOALOF INCREASING VACCINE UPTAKE INBLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES.WE’RE MAKING SURE THAT WE’REEDUCATING THOSE WHO ARECONCERNED OR JUST MISINFORMEDAND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE AREPROTECTED EMILY HOLWICK.KMBC9 NEWS.STAFF FROM SAMUEL U ROGERSHEALTH CENTER WILL RETURN TO THEUSPS FACILITY FOR TWO SECONDDOSE CLINICS.NONE OF ITS CLINICS HAVE BEENIMPACTED BY THE RECOMMENDED PAWSON THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINEAN EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS TUMBLEDLAST WEEK TO 576,000.IT WAS 769,000 JUST THE WEEKBEFORE.THAT DECLINE COINCIDES WITHOTHER EVIDENCE.THE ECONOMY IS STRENGTHENING ASVACCINATIONS.ACCELERATE BUSINESS RESTRICTIONSARE LIFTED AND AMERICANS APPEARINCREASINGLY WILLING TO TRAVELIF YOU’RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TOSOON SEE SOME LIVE MUSIC ORMAYBE A PLAY IN A THEATER.THERE’S BEEN A SETBACK KMBC9SMICHEAL MAHONEY HAS MORE ONWHITE LIVE VENUES ARE STILLGOING TO WELL, EVEN WHEN PEOPLECAN GO BACK.THE PANDEMIC HAS SCALED BACK ORCLOSED ALMOST EVERY LIVEPERFORMANCE VENUE AROUND HERE.THE FOLLY THEATER LAST WINTERTHEN YOU OPERATORS ARE HOPING TORECOVER A BILLION THROUGHFEDERAL GRANTS, BUT WHEN THESMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATIONWEBSITE OPENED LAST WEEK FORTHAT IT WAS SWAMPED AND CRASHEDTHE COMPUTER.HAVE BEEN COMPARED TO THEOBAMACARE DIFFICULTIES AT THEBEGINNING.YES.THE SBA SAYS IT’S MAKINGREPAIRS, BUT NOW THEY’RE FINDINGMORE PROBLEMS.THEY’LL GIVE US SEVEN-DAY NOTICEBEFORE THEY OPEN IT AGAIN.IT IS PAINFULLY FRUSTRATING ANDON THE DAY BEFORE THE OPENINGTHE SBA’S INSPECTOR GENERALWARNED OF SERIOUS CONCERNS WITHIT, ESPECIALLY THAT THEY MAY NOTBE ABLE TO TRACK THE 16 BILLIONIN GRANT MONEY AVAILABLE.MID, MISSOURI CONGRESSMAN BLAINELOOT.KEMEYER CALLS THE VENUE WEBSITECRASH A DEBACLE.AND EVEN IF YOU DON’T GO SEETHINGS LIKE THIS OTHERS DO IFALL THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS INKANSAS CITY WERE COMBINED.WE BE THE THIRD LARGEST EMPLOYERIN THE KANSAS CITY REGION, SOIT’S MORE THAN JUST PAYING ALATE LIGHT BILL.SO ALL THESE GROUPS WE’RE HOPINGTO START THE APPLICATION PROCESSLAST WEEK.HOWEVER, IT TURNED OUT TO BE ANUNSUCCESSFUL DRESS REHEARSAL.MICHAEL MAHONEY KMBC9 NEWSESTIMATED HALF OF ALL LIVE