Two key Missouri lawmakers from opposite parties view Tuesday’s resignation of state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director, Dr. Randall Williams, very differently. Missouri House Health and Mental Health Policy Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Stephens (R-Bolivar) praises Dr. Williams, while House Minority Leader Crystal Quade (D-Springfield) says the resignation was long overdue. Chairman Stephens says Williams […]
Tag: DHS
Audio: State health officials working closely with hotel in Macon after two cases of Legionnaires’ Disease reported
State health officials say two people diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease this month had used the hot tub and/or pool at a popular northern Missouri hotel in March. The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) says the two people used the hot tub and/or pool at the Comfort Inn and Suites in […]
Missouri Attorney General files suit against Biden administration to reinstate Migrant Protection Protocols enacted by Trump
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed suit against President Joe Biden, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas, and several other members of President Biden’s administration to reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) enacted by President Trump and work toward combating migrant trafficking, securing the border, and ending the border […]
Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine paused in Missouri until further notice
Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine administration is being paused in Missouri until further notice. “In an abundance of caution and as per federal guidelines, we are pausing vaccination with Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine until further notice in Missouri,” said Dr. Randall Williams, director of the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). “We […]
Legislation creating needle exchange program to be heard by Missouri House
Bipartisan legislation creating a hypodermic needle exchange program will be heard by a Missouri House committee Tuesday afternoon in Jefferson City. State Sen. Holly Rehder (R-Scott City), who has sponsored the bill for several years, will testify before the Missouri House Emerging Issues Committee. Her two-page Senate Bill 64 has already received final approval from the Missouri […]
Missouri veterans homes open for new admissions
The Missouri Veterans Commission announces all seven Veteran Homes are taking applications for new admissions. The homes are located in Cameron, Cape Girardeau, Mexico, Mount Vernon, St. James, St. Louis, and Warrensburg. At full capacity, the homes have a total of 1,238 beds that provide long-term skilled nursing care. “We are excited to be taking […]
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reports state’s first confirmed case of South African variant
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is reporting the first identification in a Missouri resident of the COVID-19 variant, B.1.351, which was first identified in South Africa in December 2020 and began being reported in the United States in late January. The B.1.351 variant was identified in a sample from an adult living […]
State vaccination teams surpass one-quarter million doses of vaccine administered to Missouri residents
State of Missouri vaccination teams supporting mass and targeted vaccination events across the state have now administered more than one-quarter million vaccines to Missourians. This total is in addition to vaccines administered by high throughput health centers, local public health agencies, federally qualified health centers, pharmacies, and other community enrolled providers. “Our state teams have been […]
Governor Parson announces state-supported mega vaccination site in Springfield
Governor Mike Parson announced that the state will host a Mega Vaccination Site in Springfield with the potential to fully vaccinate up to 10,000 Missourians. The event will be held at Hammons Student Center at Missouri State University (MSU) on Thursday, April 8, and Friday, April 9, 2021, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on […]
Missouri updates demographic estimates used in vaccination dashboard
Missouri’s COVID-19 vaccination dashboard was updated this afternoon to reflect the current state of COVID-19 demographics among Missourians. When Missouri’s vaccination dashboard was initially created, the method used relied on national population demographic percentages which were attributed to Missouri, and not taking into account the differences between Missouri’s demographic landscape and national averages. Going forward, Missouri-specific demographic […]
Missouri launches transportation resource guide to expand COVID-19 vaccine access across the state
The Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), with the support of the Missouri Advisory Committee on Equitable COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution, launched a new statewide transportation guide to help address and eliminate barriers to COVID-19 vaccine access. “Get a Ride” can be found at MOStopsCovid.com/ride. The Missouri Advisory Committee on Equitable COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution, which was formed […]
COVID-19 vaccinator eligibility expands to additional medical professionals and students
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently amended the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act Declaration to allow more qualified professionals to serve as COVID-19 vaccinators. This action surpasses current Missouri standing orders for vaccine administration and authorized additional categories of qualified professionals to prescribe, dispense, and administer COVID-19 vaccines anywhere in […]
Audio & Video: More than 3,600 Missourians vaccinated on Friday at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium
Missouri’s governor says more than 3,600 Jackson County residents were vaccinated on Friday at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium, the largest state-supported vaccination event thus far in the state. A second day of vaccinations took place Saturday morning at 9 and continued until 7 p.m. Two Missouri National Guard teams were at Arrowhead on Saturday, and […]
Missouri’s rural hospitals eligible for CARES Act relief funds
Rural hospitals that suffered from business interruption due to COVID-19 are now eligible to receive reimbursement funds through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, Economic Security (CARES) Act. $10 million has been allocated for this assistance. The 62 rural hospitals that provide services to rural and underserved populations are eligible to receive these funds if they can […]
Mega COVID-19 vaccination site in St. Louis announced for Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Governor Mike Parson announced that the state will host a Mega Vaccination Site in St. Louis at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park on Thursday, March 25, and Friday, March 26, 2021. “The additional vaccine doses this Mega Vaccination Site will provide to Region C will continue to alleviate some of the backlog that […]
Audio: 18 percent of Missourians have received COVID-19 vaccinations
State health officials say about 18 percent of Missourians have received COVID vaccinations. Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth has the updated numbers. The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) says Missouri vaccinators have now administered more than one-point-seven million COVID shots, which includes the first and second doses. That’s 18-point-three percent of Missouri’s […]
Mega vaccination site announced at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Friday and Saturday
During the briefing at the State Capitol, Governor Mike Parson announced that the state will host a Mega Vaccination Site at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Friday, March 19, and Saturday, March 20, 2021. “We appreciate the Jackson County Health Department, Truman Medical Center, Chiefs’ Organization, KCATA, Jackson County Executive Frank White, and all […]
Senator Hawley calls for emergency Senate hearing on Biden administration’s handling of southern border crisis
Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent letters to President Joe Biden and Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, calling for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to testify at a full Senate hearing, to be scheduled as soon as possible on the growing crisis at […]
Detection of COVID-19 variant in wastewater, during second round of testing, found 1 location with detectable levels of virus
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) continues to partner with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, University of Missouri – Columbia, wastewater operators, and others to monitor trends of the COVID-19 by testing wastewater in communities around the state. Recently, the team has been testing wastewater to look for the presence of […]
Missouri adds county-level antigen test data to online public health dashboard
On its online public health dashboard, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) began posting county-level data showing “probable” COVID-19 cases detected by antigen testing. Last fall, DHSS began reporting statewide numbers of reported negative and positive antigen tests. DHSS will follow the guidance of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) […]