ST. LOUIS — Missouri's rate of new coronavirus cases ticked up for the sixth consecutive day Friday, after months of decline, even as area health providers hustled to vaccinate seniors and first responders before a tidal wave of eligibility opens Monday.
The state's coronavirus infection rate has tumbled since the fall, when Missouri hit a peak seven-day average of 4,723 new confirmed cases on Nov. 20. That average fell as low as 343 on March 6, but has since edged upward, to 395 on Friday.
"It's a vulnerable time, and we need to continue to use all methods available to contain this disease, at this point," said Dr. Sriram Vissa, chief medical officer at SSM Health DePaul Hospital.
