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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) Springfield area health officials say the faster-spreading Delta variant is the main cause of an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the area.
Springfield-Greene County Health Department health investigator Kendra Findley said increased cases and random testing of virus samples have confirmed that the more infectious variant is spreading rapidly in County of Greene and much of southwestern Missouri. Administrators at the two largest hospitals in the Springfield-Greene County area are urging people to get vaccinated.
In Greene County, 36% of the population has started vaccination. In most of the surrounding counties, the figure is less than 30%.
More than 600 new cases of COVID-19 in Missouri
The Missouri Department of Health and Seniors Services reported 679 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the state’s total to 581,188. In the past seven days, Missouri has seen an increase of 17 % of cases.
The state also added 238 probable cases of virus antigen to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard on Friday, bringing the total to 91,175.
Missouri’s positivity rate increased slightly, now standing at 6.2%.
One new death was also added, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 9,227.
According to the state’s Vaccine Dashboard, 43.3% of Missourians received at least one dose of the vaccine and 37.2% completed the vaccination.
A total of 4,775,854 doses of the vaccine have been administered in Missouri.
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