Friday 4 p.m. COVID-19 update

The local blood supply is at emergencylevels.

Concerned about the deltavariant is leading to an even greaterdrop in donations.

Kmbc nine is Biancabeltran reports on the urgent need fordonors and how those who previouslybattled covid can helpstorage shelves at community bloodcenters.

Look bear pretty consistently.We've been at a three day supply orless for certain blood types like ohwe've been at 0.5 to one day supplywhich is extremely low.

Director AndreaDibley says the pandemic is limitingopportunities to collect blood out inthe community.

Typically we see about25,000 youth donors per year but withus not being able to host manipulatedrives at schools that has made asignificant impact on our blood.

Umsupplyand hospitals need more blood as theyscheduled surgeries delayed by thepandemic.

The blood center is askinganyone who is healthy and eligible todonate.

They are recovered from Covid19.

They need to be symptom free for atleast 14 days and they cannot donate ifthey're currently and quarantine amongthe people donating friday afternoon.

A.K.

U.

Nurse who works in the bonemarrow transplant unit.

I work withleukemia patients um and other humanlogic malignancy patients.

Um And theyare in a constant need of platelets andred blood cells.

So I'm just doing mypart outside of work.

Um trying todonate blood.

It's free for me to doand it can save one of my patients lifeKansas city Missouri Bianca beltran.Kmbc nine news today through Tuesday.People who donate at community bloodcenter donation sites will get a $20gift card.

On Labor day donors will geta $30 gift card.

People who haverecently been vaccinated are still ableto give blood right away and here theother Covid 19 headlines.

LawrenceMemorial Hospital will soon require itsworkers to be vaccinated.

That decisioncomes after the FDA fully approved thePfizer vaccine.

Staff now have untilNovember 21 new hires will need tocomplete the process.

Within 30 days,Missouri's positivity rate is below 12%for the first time in five weeks.

11.8%of tests are now coming back positivein Kansas, it's 10.1% U.S. employersadded just 235,000 jobs in August andthat's a modest gain.

After two monthsof robust hiring, the spread of thedelta variant appears to have held backjob growth the sectors with the weakesthiring or restaurants, hotels andretailers, those are places thatrequire face to face contact with thepublic.

The santa Calgon festival andindependence is back after beingcanceled last year due to covid 19we're still in a pandemic.

So therewill be some changes and one newattraction, get a shot with her eyes.The santa Colligan festival typicallydraws 300,000 people over five days.

Itwent away last year due to covidconcerns.

This year, organizers decidedto bring it back convinced it can bedone safely.

First of all, it's anoutdoor event.

You know, if we learnednothing from the garth birth experiencea couple weeks ago, you can do out yourevents safely.

We are reallyencouraging people to be responsible.Here's one big addition to the festival.This mobile clinic is set up to offerall three covid vaccines.

The CityHealth Department, partnered with thestate.

Every vaccine that we administeris a success story.

So even if we givevery few vaccines throughout this event,that's a few more people that arevaccinated against the coronavirus.

The1st 50 people to get vaccinated, win aVIP access wristband.

Other changes.Food and merchandise booths are spacedout an extra two ft.

There will be moreroom for people to spread out aroundthe main stage.

And most places thattook cash.

Other years are goingcashless, including the carnival whereyou buy wrist bands for access to allthe rides, you can pay with your Applewatch, you can pay with your google,pay your Apple pay with cell phones,things like that.

You know, thearmbands, they're not trying to stayaway from handing tickets to, to thecarnival writers.

We want to keepeverybody safe.

I want to have a goodtime.

But at the end of the day, youknow, we want people to come back for2022 as well, santa Calgon days runsthrough monday the Kansas city irishfest at Crown Center also kicks offtoday, it has doubled the space thatnormally does to allow for socialdistancing.

And the renaissancefestival opens for the new seasontomorrow in Bonner springs.

It runsevery weekend until october 17.