By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
The hospitalization of COVID-19 patients continues to moderate in the area.
Mosaic Life Care has seen a steady decline of coronavirus patients in its system.
“The numbers had been running pretty much around 10 or less now for the last several weeks,” Mosaic Chief Medical Officer Dr. Davin Turner tells reporters. “Our positivity rate for the last three weeks is around 5% roughly.”
Turner notes the numbers had dropped to the low single-digits before rising to 11 on Monday, with two patients in the St. Joseph ICU on ventilators.
This morning, Mosaic reports 10 COVID-19 patients in its system; nine in St. Joseph and one in Maryville.
Mosaic has vaccinated more than 25,000 area residents at its operation in the old Gordman’s store at East Hills Mall in St. Joseph.
Missouri has based eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine on occupation and need.
It began with Phase 1A, which included health care workers as well as nursing home patients. That expanded to Phase 1B, which is broken down into three tiers. Phase 1B, Tier 1 includes First Responders, those in emergency services and public health. Phase 1B, Tier 2 includes high-risk individuals, such as cancer patients who are more vulnerable. Phase 1B, Tier 3 includes workers in critical infrastructure, such as teachers, day care workers, workers in the agricultural and food sector, transportation, and water and wastewater sector among others.
Turner welcomes the expansion of those eligible for the vaccine.
“This expands now to your K through 12 teachers, ag, other certain businesses, to include information technology, energy, transportation.”
Turner says Mosaic is receiving enough vaccine to keep up with demand. He adds Mosaic could vaccinate many more residents if more would sign up. He encourages residents to go to the Mosaic website: mymlc.com or the Missouri COVID-19 navigator site to sign up.
“The numbers that we’re seeing sign up are about lining up with the number of vaccine that we are receiving,” Turner says.
Turner says Mosaic encourages those eligible to register.
“We would just like to see more folks sign up,” Turner says. “If you’re eligible, you meet criteria, please sign up, because if our sign-up list is longer that gives us the ability to go to the state and say we need more vaccine.”