Monday 5 p.m. COVID-19 update

Monday 5 p.m. COVID-19 update

THROUGH THAT TIMELINE COMING UP.WE CONTINUE TO TRACK THE SPREADOF THE COVID-19 VIRUS IN BOTH,MISSOURI AND KANSAS IN MISSOURITHE PERCENTAGE OF TESTS COMINGBACK POSITIVE HAS DROPPEDSLIGHTLY TO 12.8 PERCENT.IT IS A DIFFERENT STORY INKANSAS THOUGH WHERE THEPOSITIVITY RATE HAS GONE UP TO10.3 PERCENT AND JACKSON COUNTY,MISSOURI RESIDENTS MUST CONTINUEWEARING MASKS IN PUBLIC THROUGHOCTOBER 7TH.PKMBC9’S BIANCA BELTRAN WAS THERIS COUNTY LEADERS VOTED TOEXTEND THAT REQUIREMENT JUSTTODAY AND SHE JOINS US LIVE WITHTHE LATEST FROM HEALTH OFFICIALSON WHY THEYAY S MASKS ARE STILLNEEDED BIANCA.WELL LAURA COMES DOWN TOCOMMUNITY SPREAD OF COVID-19 ANDWHILE THE JACKSON COUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENT IS STARTING TO SEE ADOWNWARD TREND.THERE ARE STILL HIGH LEVELS OFCOVID-19 CASES IN THEOM CMUNITYAND HOSPITALS ARE AT CAPACITYTODAY.THEY SAID THAT THEY’VE SEENMASKS MAKE A DIFFERENCE.DESPITE POINTED OOSPPITION THEJACKSON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENTSTOOD FIRM IN SIT MENDAONTIPOINTING TO STUDIES OF MASKMANDATES IN KANSAS ON THIS GRAPHTHE DOTTED LINE IN THE MIDDLEREPRESENTS AN EXECUTIVE ORDERALLOWING.COUNTIES TO OPT IN AFTER THEIMPLEMENTATION OF THE MANTEDAMASS COUNTIES SAW A NOTICEABLEDECLINE IN OVERALL CASE RATE.THAT’S WHAT THE GREEN ARROW ISPOINTING TO AND THE RED ARROWWHEREAS THOSE UNMASKED COUNTIESSAW A CONTINUED INCREASE IN CASERATE OVER TIME A MAJORITYF O THELEGISLATURE APPROVED EXTENDINGTHE MASK MANDATE IN JKSACONCOUNTY, IOWA SCHLSOO OPENED THEDELTA VARIAN IS COMING FOR OURCHILDREN.THEY ARE DEFENSELESS AND THEYRELY ON US TO PROTECT TMHETRAVIS SHOWED UPN I SUPPORT OFTHE HEALTH ORDER ONE THING HEKNOWS FOR SURE.THE VIRUS HAS BEEN DEVASTATING.I FEEL LIKE IF I LOOK ONFACEBOOK.I’M CONSTANTLY SAYING OH, I’M SOSORRY FOR YOUR LOSS OVER THELAST TWO WEEKS.I SWEAR.IT’S LIKE THREE TIMES A DAY.I’M SAYING THAT TO SOMEBODY.YOU KNOW, SO THAT’S JUSTSOMETHING WE JUST GOT TO WORKON.YEAH.GOOD.GRAND CAN BE SEEN I NEWS.AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT LEADERSSAY THAT MASKS ARE JTUS ONE PARTOF THE EQUATION VACCINATION.THEY SAY IS ONE OF THEIRSTRONGEST TOOLS IN THIS BATTLE,TBU ABOUT 43% OF THE POPULATIONIN JACKSON COUNTY IS CURRENTLYVACCINATED AND CHILDREN UNDER 12ARE NOT YET ELIGIBLE AND ALL OFTHAT FACTORS INTO THIS DECISIONREPORTING LIVE.I’M BIANCA BELTRAN CAN BE SEENMY NEWS THIS PUBLIC HEAHLT ORDERAPPLIES TO JACKSON COUNTYRESIDENTS, FIVE AND OLDER.ACQUIRING MASK WEARING INDOORSIN PUBLIC PLACES A BIG MILESTONERFO THE KANSAS CITY METRO 1MILLION PEOPLE IN OUR ARE NOWFULLY VACCINATED THAT’SACCORDING TO DATA FROM LOCALHEALTH DEPARTMENTS ON BOTH SIDESOF THE STATE LINE THAT DATA ISCOMPILED BY GROUPS ACROSS