Missouri Urging Vaccination as Delta Variant Cases Rise Across the State

The Missouri Health Department says the state is experiencing a rise in the number of coronavirus cases tied to a highly contagious version of the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reclassified the Delta variant as a “variant of concern” in the United States. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services says the version is causing more serious illness and hospitalizations among those who have not been vaccinated. It says the Delta variant is projected to become dominant worldwide.

A press release from the department says social distancing and appropriate masking remain important and effective public health countermeasures. It says vaccination is the most effective and long-lasting tool for protection from infection.