Two rural counties northeast of the Kansas City metro are seeing some of the highest COVID-19 case rates in the state, as vaccinations there are lagging. KMBC 9 spoke with health leaders in Livingston and Linn counties about what’s contributing to the spike. At one point in time both counties had zero COVID-19 cases, but now the numbers are rising. Health officials say variants and low vaccination rates are factors.“We have seen more now than we did back in the winter,” said Sherry Weldon with the Livingston County Health Department. She says the latest positivity rate is around 22%. In neighboring Linn County it’s at 29%. Both are far higher than the statewide positivity rate of 4.5%.“Even though most of the people are not getting horribly sick, we do have some that have been hospitalized and that’s always frightening,” she said.The latest data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services shows Livingston County has the highest case rate in the state with 322 cases per 100,000 people. Linn County is at 126 per 100,000, while the statewide average is much lower at 24 cases per 100,000. “Everyone thinking that it’s over and going about their business and gathering now is what’s causing some of our positives,” Weldon said.Health officials in both counties say variants from India and the UK have triggered a new wave of cases. “That is concerning for me, I think it’s concerning for our community as we’ve seen a couple of breakthrough cases with this variant which is more contagious,” said Krista Neblock with the Linn County Health Department. Linn County has found high concentrations of the variant from India in wastewater. The state is sending a team next week to help with sequencing to figure out how it found its way to rural Missouri. Both counties are behind the state on vaccinations. Around 34% of residents have gotten at least one dose, compared to 42% statewide.“We just have that group of people that say they want to wait,” Weldon said. “There’s some that say they don’t believe this is serious.”Neblock says younger people are less likely to be vaccinated.“Really, our working people 20 to 50, we have not seen a very good vaccination rate,” she said, “and that’s really where we’re seeing the increase in cases right now.”She says low vaccination rates coupled with easing restrictions have contributed to the spread.“It was a perfect storm of relaxing some of those guidelines and people feeling comfortable to participate in graduations and Mother’s Day,” she said. Health leaders are pleading with people to take precautions and get vaccinated.“We can see how fast and how exponentially it grows whenever everybody is kind of letting their guard down at once,” Neblock said.“Getting the vaccine will take care of whatever comes our way,” Weldon said.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
Two rural counties northeast of the Kansas City metro are seeing some of the highest COVID-19 case rates in the state, as vaccinations there are lagging. KMBC 9 spoke with health leaders in Livingston and Linn counties about what’s contributing to the spike.
At one point in time both counties had zero COVID-19 cases, but now the numbers are rising. Health officials say variants and low vaccination rates are factors.
“We have seen more now than we did back in the winter,” said Sherry Weldon with the Livingston County Health Department.
She says the latest positivity rate is around 22%. In neighboring Linn County it’s at 29%. Both are far higher than the statewide positivity rate of 4.5%.
“Even though most of the people are not getting horribly sick, we do have some that have been hospitalized and that’s always frightening,” she said.
The latest data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services shows Livingston County has the highest case rate in the state with 322 cases per 100,000 people. Linn County is at 126 per 100,000, while the statewide average is much lower at 24 cases per 100,000.
“Everyone thinking that it’s over and going about their business and gathering now is what’s causing some of our positives,” Weldon said.
Health officials in both counties say variants from India and the UK have triggered a new wave of cases. “That is concerning for me, I think it’s concerning for our community as we’ve seen a couple of breakthrough cases with this variant which is more contagious,” said Krista Neblock with the Linn County Health Department.
Linn County has found high concentrations of the variant from India in wastewater. The state is sending a team next week to help with sequencing to figure out how it found its way to rural Missouri.
Both counties are behind the state on vaccinations. Around 34% of residents have gotten at least one dose, compared to 42% statewide.
“We just have that group of people that say they want to wait,” Weldon said. “There’s some that say they don’t believe this is serious.”
Neblock says younger people are less likely to be vaccinated.
“Really, our working people 20 to 50, we have not seen a very good vaccination rate,” she said, “and that’s really where we’re seeing the increase in cases right now.”
She says low vaccination rates coupled with easing restrictions have contributed to the spread.
“It was a perfect storm of relaxing some of those guidelines and people feeling comfortable to participate in graduations and Mother’s Day,” she said.
Health leaders are pleading with people to take precautions and get vaccinated.
“We can see how fast and how exponentially it grows whenever everybody is kind of letting their guard down at once,” Neblock said.
“Getting the vaccine will take care of whatever comes our way,” Weldon said.