Coronavirus Coverage by Sarah Fentem

During the last week of August, 373 students and 56 staff members tested positive for the coronavirus, County Executive Sam Page said this week. More than 1,300 students and employees have had to quarantine after coming into contact with a person who has tested positive.

Donald Kauerauf said Thursday that as head of the Department of Health and Senior Services, he aims to boost the state’s COVID-19 vaccination rates. He supports masking and other public health measures to decrease coronavirus infections but opposes vaccine mandates. Instead, he said the state should focus on giving residents more information.

Only 45,000 of Missouri adults who received the vaccine since the state announced its vaccine lottery have entered the statewide drawing. That's fewer than 15% of the more than 600,000 people in total who have entered the drawing for $10,000 prizes, which ends next month. Still, the state health director calls the vaccination lottery a success.

Doctors want as many people as possible to get the flu vaccine before this year's season begins. Unlike last year, they're predicting a bad flu season now that many people are taking fewer precautions against the coronavirus.

Making COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for workers at St. Louis hospitals has not sparked a mass exodus. Hospital officials in St. Louis say the vast majority of their employees have gotten the vaccine by the fall deadlines administrators set earlier this summer.

For those who want their loved ones to be safe from the virus, trying to persuade people to get the shot is frustrating but not impossible.

In the past week, the region’s four largest hospital systems have admitted about 40 new patients a day, according to the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force. That’s down from a high of around 80 people a day in August.

Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis was sworn in as the new director of the St. Louis Department of Health earlier this month. While the coronavirus is the infectious disease doctor’s first priority, she has plans to tackle the city’s other health problems.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could give final approval for kids as young as 5 to get the COVID-19 vaccine this week.

St Louis health workers are concerned that conspiracy theories about how scientists developed the vaccine, along with mistrust of public health agencies, could be leading some people to avoid other immunizations like the yearly flu shot.