>> YOU ARE WATCHING KMBC 9 NEWS.
KELLY: WE’RE FACING A POSSIBLE COVID-19 SURGE BECAUSE OF THANKSGIVING.
GOOD AFTERNOON.
I’M KELLY ECKERMAN.
THOSE OF THE WORDS COMING FROM THE HEAD OF THE MISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION.
KMBC 9’S MICHAEL MAHONEY SAYS HE THINKS HE HAS THE NUMBERS TO BACK THAT UP.
MICHAEL: HOLIDAY TRAVEL ON THANKSGIVING WAS UP IN MISSOURI DESPITE THE WARNINGS TO STAY HOME AND NOT RISK SPREADING INFECTIONS.
UP BY 40% FROM THAT MONDAY THROUGH THANKSGIVING DAY.
>> HISTORICALLY WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS MOBILITY TRENDS, PARTICULARLY LEADING UP TO HOLIDAYS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH AN INCREASE IN CASE GROWTH.
MICHAEL: HERE’S HOW THEY GOT THIS DATA.
AS FOLKS WERE DRIVING AROUND, MAINLY ON THANKSGIVING DAY, THEIR CELLS PHONES WERE TRACKING THEM.
THROUGH THE GOOGLE COVID-19 COMMUNITY MOBILITY SETTING.
THE DATA COMES FROM THE LOCATION HISTORY SETTING.
GOOGLE SAYS IT’S A SETTING PEOPLE HAVE TO TURN ON TO ACITVATE.
SINCE THE SPRING, THE HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN TRACKING THE RETAIL AND RECREATION DATA DAILY.
AND WEDNESDAY, BEFORE THANKSGIVING, LOTS OF PEOPLE WERE GOING TO THE STORE.
>> THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIGIVING WAS A DAY OF EXTREMELY HIGH MOBILITY.
ACTUALLY THE HIGHEST WE’VE SEEN SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN.
MICHAEL: IN KANSAS CITY MOBILITY , INCREASED 31% OVER THAT PERIOD.
53% IN NORTHWEST MISSOURI BUT REMEMBER, IN RURAL MISSOURI, DISTANCES ARE OFTEN LONGER FOR ALMOST EVERYBODY, GOING ANYWHERE.
IF THIS BEARS OUT, COVID INFECTIONS MIGHT START TO INCREASE IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
IF THERE’S A RISE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS, IT COULD SHOW UP ANOTHER WEEK IS -- IN ANOTHER WEEK OR SO.
ACCORDING TO THE MISSOURI HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION, TRAVELLING DURING THANKSGIVING JUMPS BY 40% OF WHAT WAS BEFORE.
MICHEAL MAHONEY, KMBC 9 NEWS.
KELLY: GETTING BACK TO THAT BUSY DAY AT THE STORES BEFORE THANKSGIVING, THERE’S NO WAY TO TELL WHO WAS DOING IT SAFELY.
MANY LOCAL STORES DO REQUIRE CUSTOMERS TO WEAR A MASK WHILE SHOPPING.
FOR NOW NEW CASES IN MISSOURI ARE GOING DOWN.
THE 7 DAY ROLLING AVERAGE IS DOWN TO 3200.
HEALTH OFFICIALS WARNED WE WOULD SEE A DRAMATIC DROP IN THESE NUMBERS AFTER THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY DUE TO BUSINESSES BEING CLOSED, BUT SAID IT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A LARGE SPIKE.
WE’LL GET AN UPDATE FROM KANSAS TOMORROW.
IN MISSOURI, THE POSITIVITY RATE IS STAYING AT ABOUT 20.3%.
IN KANSAS THE POSITIVITY RATE REMAINS AT 17.1%.
GOVERNOR LAURA KELLY SAYS ONCE A VACCINE IS APPROVED, THE STATE IS EXPECTING TO GET 150,000 DOSES BY THE END OF THE MONTH.
THE FIRST SHIPMENT WILL BE FROM PFIZER.
HEALTH CARE WORKERS AND NURSING HOME RESIDENTS WILL GET THE VACCINE FIRST.
THOSE VACCINES IN KANSAS WILL GO TO LOCAL COUNTIES.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT WORKERS, LIKE THOSE IN DOUGLAS COUNTY, ARE ALREADY PLANNING LOGISTICS ON WHO GETS THE FIRST SHOTS.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER MATT FLENER EXPLAINS HOW FRONTLINE HEALTHCARE WORKERS WILL BE FIRST IN LINE.
>> TONIGHT, A FIRST LOOK AT HOW IT -- HOW A LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN KANSAS PLANS TO DISTRIBUTE THE COVID-19 VACCINE.
DOUGLAS COUNTY IN LAWRENCE, USING THIS ONLINE FORM.
ALREADY ASKING HEALTHCARE EMPLOYERS TO ALLOW THEIR WORKERS TO SIGN UP.
>> IF WE DON’T HAVE HEALTH CARE WORKERS, BECAUSE THEY’RE EXPOSED, AND THEY’RE SUDDENLY IN QUARANTINE, THE SYSTEM STARTS TO COLLAPSE.
>> HEALTHCARE WORKERS, IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH COVID, LIKE THOSE AT LAWRENCE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, UNABLE TO WORK FROM HOME ARE FIRST IN LINE UNDER THE KANSAS DISTRIBUTION PLAN.
DOUGLAS COUNTY ESTIMATES 6,000-8,000 ELIGIBLE HEALTHCARE WORKERS COULD OPT-IN COUNTY WIDE.
>> THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT WE CAN GET ABOUT 6000 PEOPLE THROUGH AND WE WE WON’T KNOW FOR SURE WHAT THAT COUNT WILL BE UNTIL WE FINISH THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS.
AFTER ENROLLMENT, THE PLAN CALLS FOR DRIVE THRU VACCINATIONS FOR 3 WEEKS, THEN ANOTHER THREE WEEKS FOR A BOOSTER SHOT.
>> IT REALLY DOES FEEL LIKE OUR LAST BATTLE IN THIS PANDEMIC.
AND I THINK THAT’S ONE WE’RE GONNA WIN.
>> AS VACCINE DISTRIBUTION RAMP UP, RESIDENTS IN SENIOR CARE FACILTIES AND OTHER ESSENTIAL WORKERS WOULD BE THE NEXT PHASE.
-- WILL BE NEXT IN LINE.
ALL ESTIMATES POINT AND XM ARE BY THE TIME WHY DISTRIBUTION IS AVAILABLE.
KELLY: THE FIRST PHASE OF THE VACCINE DISTRIBUTION PLAN DOESN’T JUST ACCOUNT FOR DOCTORS AND NURSES, IT ALSO INCLUDES STAFF LIKE JANITORS INSIDE HOSPITALS WHO ARE IN DIRECT
CONTACT WITH COVID.
ONCE A VACCINE IS APPROVED, 51,000 DOSES ARE EXPECTED TO BE SHIPPED OUT TO MISSOURI.
A WEEK LATER THE STATE IS EXPECTING ANOTHER SHIPMENT FROM PFIZER AND MODERNA WITH 166,000 DOSES.
THE GOAL IS TO VACCINATE ALL HEALTH CARE WORKERS BY THE END OF JANUARY.
AND KEEP THESE DATES IN MIND.
NEXT THURSDAY THE FDA WILL CONSIDER PFIZER’S APPLICATION FOR AN EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION.
DECEMBER 17 THE FDA WILL CONSIDER MODERNA’S VACCINE CANDIDATE.
SO FAR, SUCCESS.
THAT’S WHAT DOCTORS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS HEALTH SYSTEMS ARE SEEING IN A NEW MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY TREATMENT THEY’RE GIVING TO SOME CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS.
THEY’RE GIVING THEIR FIRST DOSES OF BAMLAN TO PATIENTS IN HIGH RISK CATEGORIES, USUALLY THEY’RE 65 OR OLDER WITH HEALTH ISSUES OUTSIDE OF COVID.
>> > I’M SURE IT IS DISHEARTENIN TO GET THE NEWS THAT YOU ARE POSITIVE FOR COVID, BUT IF ON THE SAME PHONE CALL YOU HERE WE HAVE GOT THIS TREATMENT AVAILABLE THAT YOU QUALIFY FOR,
WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME IN AND GET IT?
AND THOSE PATIENTS ARE ALL SAYING YES, THEY ARE ALL WANTING TO COME IN.
KELLY: DOCTOR STEVEN STITES SAYS A FELLOW DOCTOR EXPLAINED, THAT WHILE THE DRUG WAS BEING STUDED, IT WASN’T HARD TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PATIENTS RECIEIVNG A PLACEBO AND PATIENTS
GETTING THE REAL TREATMENT.
IN JOHNSON COUNTY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT PLANS TO FOLLOW THE CDC’S NEW QUARANTINE RECOMMENDATION.
IF YOU HAVE CLOSE CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WHO IS COVID POSITIVE AND YOU TEST NEGATIVE, THEY RECOMMEND 7 FULL DAYS OF QUARANTINE.
HOWEVER IF YOU FAIL TO GO GET TESTED THEY WANT TO YOU QUARANTINE FOR 10 DAYS.
THE COUNTY DOES NOTE HIGH RISK RESIDENTS IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES AND PRISONS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE SHORTENED PERIOD.
PEOPLE ARE STILL URGED TO MONITOR FOR SYMPTOMS FOR A FULL 14 DAYS AFTER EXPOSURE.
IN MISSOURI, THE CLAY COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYS IT IS REVIEWING THE CDC’S NEW RECOMMENDATION.
NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE.
FOR THE BOGERT, -- FOR THE MOMENT HEALTH LEADERS ARE , ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO QUARANTINE FOR 14 DAYS IF THEY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED.
THE LAWRENCE SCHOOL BOARD IS HOLDING A SPECIAL MEETING TONIGHT.
IT’S LOOKING AT WHICH CRITERIA IT WANTS TO FOLLOW WHEN MAKING THE DECISION BETWEEN ALLOWING STUDENTS BACK INTO CLASSROOMS OR REMAINING ONLINE.
THE MEETING IS AT 6:30 TONIGHT.