COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in Missouri on Sept. 13

We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in Missouri and the Kansas City area. Check back for updates.

Over 1,000 new COVID cases reported

At least 651,944 people in Missouri have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 10,876 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.

On Monday, officials reported an increase of 1,046 cases over the previous day.

There have been 10,259 positive COVID-19 cases over a seven-day period ending Sept. 10, with an average of 1,466 new cases per day, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services data show. In that same period, there were 36 coronavirus-related deaths.

At least 1,918 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Friday, the latest day hospitalizations were reported, including 507 patients being treated in intensive care units, health officials said.

As of Monday, 11.4% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.

Nearly 53% of Missouri’s total population have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and a little more than 46% have been fully vaccinated.

COVID-19 tipping Missouri into ‘eviction crisis’

Many Missourians were already struggling to make rent and keep roofs over their heads, but the COVID-19 pandemic has been pushing them even closer to the edge, The Kansas City Star reports.

An August survey by the Census Bureau asked Americans how likely they were to be evicted from their residence and 3.5 million, or 43%, said it was “somewhat” or “very likely.” And in Missouri, 93,459 — more than the national average — said the same.

The reality for some residents, those earning less than a living wage, is that they are “always just one mishap away from falling behind on their rent and being evicted,” said Gina Chiala, executive director and staff attorney for the Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom.

At the same time, rent is climbing, by leaps in bounds in many cities, Kansas City included, where the average one-bedroom apartment costs $1,435 a month.

To advocates and many of the renters facing the threat of homelessness, the worsening situation needs long-term solutions and changes to the current housing rules.

“The eviction crisis is real. It’s not getting better,” Chiala said. “The only thing that’s going to cure it on a long-term basis is tenants organizing and winning affordable housing.”

Jackson County files court petition for permanent closure of cafe defying mask order

Jackson County officials filed court motions on Friday seeking the permanent closure of a Blue Springs cafe that has for weeks defied the county’s mask order, accusing its owner of “endangering the health, safety, and welfare of the community.”

Rae’s Cafe and owner Amanda Wohletz, the lawsuit alleges, are openly and directly failing to comply with the order aimed to curb the spread of COVID-19 through the community. Without court intervention, the cafe will continue to operate with flagrant disregard for the rules, county leaders contend.

The county also sought a temporary restraining order that would impose sanctions on anyone who tries to keep the business operating in violation of the public health order. It was swiftly granted by a Jackson County judge on Friday afternoon.

Missouri Chamber decries Biden’s vaccine mandate

In July, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry launched a statewide campaign urging employers to increase vaccination rates among workers.

Identifying vaccines as the path out of the coronavirus pandemic and into a full economic recovery, the chamber’s COVID Stops Here program began to recognize businesses that record high levels of vaccination.

But even as it encourages shots, the chamber decried President Joe Biden’s plans to require workers at companies with more than 100 employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine or submit to weekly testing.

This story was originally published September 13, 2021 at 7:08 AM.