COVID-19 hospitalizations in southwest Missouri surpass winter peak

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 in southwest Missouri have surpassed their winter peak, according to the health department.

In a distressing turn, hospitalizations for COVID-19 in southwestern Missouri have surpassed their winter peak, according to the local health department. On Monday, Greene County hospitals reported 251 patients who had been admitted for COVID, compared to a previous high of 237 COVID patients on Dec. 1, before vaccines were widely available. Missouri currently has among the nation's highest case rates, along with Arkansas, Florida and Louisiana, according to Department of Health and Human Services data. The mayor of Springfield, Missouri, which is located in Greene County, pointed to misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the problem.