New Cases Slow, 1,600 Vaccinated in Area Clinic

 More than 120 workers and volunteers came together on Saturday to carry out a mass vaccination at Cameron High School, the first of its kind in Clinton County.

The rate of new COVID-19 cases in Clinton County continues to slow.

As of Monday, the county was up to 1,506 confirmed cases since the beginning of the pandemic last year, including just 18 active cases. The county has seen 421 probable cases and 64 deaths related to virus (the bulk of which came last fall in long-term care facilities).

A similar downturn in the case rate was seen throughout the surrounding area. The City of Kansas City was up to 36,355 cases as of Tuesday, according to the Missouri COVID-19 dashboard. The areas of Clay and Platte Counties outside of Kansas City were at 7,743 and 3,042 cases, respectively. Buchanan County was up to 6,896 cases. DeKalb inched closer to a thousand, sitting at 913 total cases, and Caldwell County was at 634 total cases.

Health officials conducted the first mass vaccination clinic in Clinton County this past Saturday, February 13, at Cameron High School. Clinton County Health Administrator Blair Shock said that 1,688 people received their vaccinations during the day.

“The event went exceptionally well, with relatively short wait times,” Shock said. “In listening to the feedback from patients, folks were in line to park longer than they were in the building to be vaccinated. We had planned to conduct this as a drive-through event, but the exceptionally cold temperatures prevented that from being a possibility.”

More than 120 staff and volunteers from multiple agencies and communities worked to make the clinic a success Saturday, including members of the sheriff’s department, Missouri Air National Guard, Cameron Police Department, Missouri Department of Transportation, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Cameron Regional Medical Center and many, many more.

“We would really like to thank all of our partners and volunteers that assisted with this,” Shock said. “There is no way an event of this size could be conducted without them. They are truly heroes, and we are so grateful for their support.”

Shock urged residents to register with the online Missouri Vaccine Navigator, after which they will receive notifications about clinics in the area, how to register, and when other tiers of the vaccination plan open to the public.