COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES: 62 Kansas counties turn down vaccine doses as demand wanes Here are the latest COVID-19 updates in the Kansas City metro area Share Updated: 12:42 PM CDT Apr 26, 2021 KMBC 9 News Staff Here are the latest COVID-19 updates in the Kansas City metro area Share Updated: 12:42 PM CDT Apr 26, 2021 Hide Transcript Show Transcript I’M ROB HUGHES. IN JUST OVER AN HOUR, THE CITY OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI WILL UPDATE ITS COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS AND GUIDELINES. KMBC 9’S MATT EVANS HAS A LOOK AT WHAT TO EXPECT. MATT: THE CITY’S CURRENT STATE OF EMERGENCY AND CURRENT MASK ORDER ARE SET TO EXPIRE IN JUST A MATTER OF DAYS, ON CITY MAY 1. LEADERS WILL BE ANNOUNCING UPDATED GUIDANCE WHEN IT COMES TO FIGHTING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. ANYONE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE MUST WEAR A MASK, IF THEY ARE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN 6 FEET OF SOCIAL THING. THE OUTDOOR REQUIREMENT COULD BE DROPPED TODAY. RESTAURANTS AND BARS HAVE BEEN OPERATING UNDER NORMAL HOURS. IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER OR NOT ANY OF THE SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES WILL BE RELAXED OR CHANGED. AT 1:15 THIS AFTERNOON DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE STEPS OF CITY HALL. ROB: JOHNSON COUNTY LEADERS WILL VOTE ON POTENTIALLY ENDING THE COUNTY’S MASK MANDATE. THE CURRENT ORDER EXPIRES FRIDAY. THE GOAL OF THE RULES WAS TO SEE IF HALF OF ALL ELIGIBLE JOHNSON COUNTY RESIDENTS COULD GET A DOSE OF THE SHOT BEFORE RESCINDING THEM. RIGHT NOW THAT NUMBER’S AT 40%. THE COUNTY WILL MEET THURSDAY TO DISCUSS HOW TO MOVE FORWAR MORE THAN HALF OF THE COUNTIES IN KANSAS - TURNED DOWN THEIR WEEKLY ALLOTMENTS CORONAVIRUS VACCINE. 62 OF THE STATE’S 105 COUNTIES REFUSED DOSES. THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE SAYS - IT APPEARS MANY KANSANS ARE DELAYING THEIR VACCINATIONS - -- OFFICE SAYS IT APPEARS MANY ARE DELAYING THEIR VACCINATIONS BECAUSE OF A STEADY DROP IN NEW INFECTIONS AND DEATHS. HEALTH EXPERTS URGE YOU TO STAY THE COURSE. KANSAS IS NOW PLANNING A CAMPAIGN TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CONSIDER GETTING THEIR SHOTS. MISSOURI BECAME ONE OF THE FIRST STATES IN THE COUNTRY TO ONCE AGAIN USE THE JOHNSON AND JOHNSON VACCINE AFTER NATIONAL HEALTH EXPERTS LIFTED A PAUSE ON THE ROLLOUT FRIDAY. THIS MORNING, 30 STATES ARE AGAIN USING THE ONE-DOSE VACCINE. KANSAS IS EXPECTED TO JOIN THEM THIS WEEK. SOME STATES, LIKE INDIANA AND FLORIDA, HELD JOHNSON AND JOHNSON VACCINE CLINICS OVER THE WEEKEND. IN THE RACE TO VACCINATE AMERICANS, THERE’S TROUBLING NEW DATA FROM THE CDC. THE AGENCY SAYS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE MAY HAVE MISSED THE RECOMMENDED TIME FRAME FOR THEIR SECOND DOSE OF THE TWO-SHOT VACCINES, WHILE NEARLY A QUARTER OF THE COUNTRY IS HESITANT TO GET ANY VACCINE AT ALL. ANDREW DYMBURT IN WASHINGTON. REPORTER: THE COVID VACCINE GOING INTO ARMS AGAIN AFTER A TEMPORARY PAUSE DUE TO BLOOD CLOTS. IT WAS NEVER CONCLUSIVELY LINKED , BUT IT NOW COMES WITH AN UPDATED FACT SHEET. >> YOU HAVE TO DECIDE IF THE WORST -- RISK IS WORTH IT. >> THE CDC FOUND 15 WOMEN SUFFERED FROM EXTREMELY RARE BLOOD CLOTS. CONCLUDING THAT THE BENEFITS OUTWEIGH THE RISKS. >> WE TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY. WE HAVE LOOKED AT IT. LET’S GET PEOPLE VACCINATED. REPORTER: GETTING THEM FULLY VACCINATED IS PROVING TO BE CHALLENGING. MANY MAY HAVE MISSED THE TIMEFRAME FOR THEIR SECOND DOSE. 73% OF THOSE NOT YET VACCINATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT TAKE THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON SHOT. SHE USED TO BE ONE OF THOSE SKEPTICS, BUT AFTER SHE TESTED POSITIVE WHILE 24 WEEKS PREGNANT, SHE IS URGING OTHERS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND GET VACCINATED. >> DON’T WAIT UNTIL IT’S TOO LATE BECAUSE IT CAN GO SO BAD SO FAST. ROB: MEANWHILE, AMERICANS LOOKING TO TRAVEL INTERNATIONALLY MAY NEED TO BE FULLY VACCINATED. THE EUROPEAN UNION IS CONSIDERING A PLAN TO ALLOW AMERICANS TO FLY TO EUROPE BUT WITH A VACCINE PASSPORT PROVING THEY ARE FULLY VACCINATED. THIS IS SOMETHING HERE DOMESTICALLY, SEVERAL GOVERNORS HAVE OPPOSED. DOCTORS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS HEALTH SYSTEM SAY VACCINE HESITANCY WILL BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES MOVING FORWARD. CONGRESSMAN EMMANUEL CLEAVER JOINED DOCTORS FOR TODAY’S BRIEFING AND SAYS, IF WE WANT TO GET THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC, IT’S UP TO EVERYONE TO DO THEIR PART TO FIGHT THE VIRUS. >> WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO WIN THIS BY EXAMPLE. WE NEED EVERY HUMAN BEING, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO ARE IN THE PUBLIC EYE, TO COME OUT AND PUSH FOR VACCINATION. ROB: DOCTORS ARE CONCERNED NEWS ABOUT EXTREMELY RARE SIDE EFFECTS OF THE JOHNSON AND JOHNSON VACCINE HAS SOURED SOME OPINIONS ON ALL THE CORONAVIRUS VACCINES. THEY STRESS ALL OF THE BRANDS APPROVED IN THE U.S. ARE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE. IF YOU’RE WANTING TO GET VACCINATED, KMBC 9 NEWS IS