KANSAS CITY, Mo. — 41 Action News is offering a daily recap of COVID-19 related stories from across Kansas City and the country. Check back every morning for the latest developments.
LATEST: COVID-19 case tracker for Missouri, Kansas and Kansas City
University of Kansas Health System update
Doctors with the University of Kansas Health System expressed optimism on Tuesday with the downward trend in the number of COVID-19 patients in the hospital.
The hospital reported 38 patients with acute infections in the hospital, with only nine of those patients in the ICU and five on ventilators. Another 63 patients remain in the hospital in recovery phases, including seven still on ventilators.
“We still can be happy,” said Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention. “We can be optimistic how things are going.”
Doctors also spoke with Dr. Lee Norman, secretary for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, about when the state plans to see vaccine supply ramp up in the state.
Norman cautioned that any uptick in supply likely will come only when another vaccine hits the market, along with the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. President Joe Biden’s administration has begun giving states a three-week notice on expected vaccine supply, which Norman said helps the state health department relay information to Kansas counties about how much to expect.
Still, Norman said that the current rate of 45,500 doses per week allocated to Kansas “ain’t gonna cut it.”
“We do not have enough and that is, without question, the source of anxiety, particularly for the older folks,” Norman said.
Also Tuesday, Dr. Steven Stites, chief medical officer of the health system, received his second dose of the vaccine during the briefing.
Missouri prioritizes hospitals for vaccine distribution
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said Monday that it will put a focus on allocating vaccine doses to health care partners that can administer at least 5,000 doses per week.
Nine hospitals and health care systems in the Kansas City metro will begin receiving the Region A allocations this week.
Missouri currently receives about 76,000 doses per week from the federal government. The designated “high-throughput” locations will receive 53% of the state’s allocation.
Hospitals say doses remain extremely limited, and knowing how much supply they will receive will help with scheduling appointments.
Kansas prison outbreak not caused by variant
Kansas officials said Monday that a coronavirus variant did not contribute to an outbreak at the Winfield Correctional Facility in south central Kansas. The Winfield prison reported 14 active cases among staff and 112 cases among inmates. The prison houses about 450 inmates.
Chiefs players placed on COVID-19 list
Two Kansas City Chiefs players on Monday were placed on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list after they reportedly had close contact with a barber who tested positive. Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and center Daniel Kilgore could still play in the Super Bowl on Sunday if they clear the league’s protocol.
Mizzou game against Kentucky postponed one day
The University of Missouri men’s basketball game against Kentucky was postponed by one day after the Kentucky program had to pause team activities last week under the SEC’s COVID-19 protocols. Mizzou will host Kentucky at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
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