Jackson County Democrats Dispute Missouri COVID Death Count

Local Democratic Party leaders continue to hammer away at the Republican Guv on the topic of the pandemic. 

Whist TKC commends the Guv for an Arrowhead COVID vaxx event that brought a massive effort for pandemic prevention to the KCMO 3rd District . . . Meanwhile, Kansas City metro leaders demand an even more proactive approach . . .

Here's their statement, and the highlight, pulled from their latest press release via www.TonysKansasCity.com . . .

Vaccination Rates Rising But Missouri Well Over 10,000 COVID Deaths

Missouri’s death toll from COVID-19 topped the 10,000 fatality mark on Aug. 12, according to official numbers reported by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. However, because the state undercounts COVID-19 fatalities compared to statistics compiled by local health departments, the state’s total death count from the disease stood at 11,182 that day, according to an analysis conducted by the Missouri Independent.

Because of the undercount, Missouri likely topped 10,000 deaths from COVID-19 in late May or early June, according to the Independent, an on-line news organization focusing on state government. Missouri’s first death from the disease was reported on March 18, 2020. The 10,002 cumulative cases the state reported for Aug. 12 was 1,180 short of what local health departments reported.

The discrepancy is because the state only count fatalities in cases in which a person’s COVID-19 positive status was confirmed by a polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, test and excludes cases confirmed by an antigen test. Most counties include antigen test cases in their fatality counts, according to the Independent. The news site first reported that Republican Gov. Mike Parson’s administration has been underreporting cases total and death counts in March.

Missouri currently ranks in the top third among U.S. states with the most new COVID-19 cases and deaths per capita. It also has among the lowest vaccination rates, with just 43 percent of eligible Missourians being fully vaccinated as of Aug. 19, according to tracking data maintained by The New York Times.

#############

You decide . . .