Late Friday, the Joplin Health Department reported another death from complications due to Covid-19. KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

The death of an 83-year old female is the city’s 132 since the pandemic reached Southwest Missouri last March. Joplin Health Department officials report that coronavirus played a significant contribution to her death. Joplin has experienced a 22% increase in the number of Covid cases over the past two weeks. On May 25, the health department saw an average of about 4.50 cases per day. As of Saturday, that average has risen to more than 13 new cases per day.

Covid-19 vaccines are widely available in Missouri for anyone over the age of 12-years old. Both the Moderna and Pzider vaccines have proven to be at least 94% effective from getting the disease and near 100% effective for getting seriously ill and preventing death. Visit Covidvaccine.mo.gov to schedule an appointment. Or call the Southwest Missouri Regional COVID-19 Call Center at 417-874-1211.