Joplin City Council told Freeman averaging one COVID-19 death per day since August, Mercy has 52 staffers out due to coronavirus

Dr. Robert McNab, who heads the COVID-19 unit at Freeman, told the Joplin City Council moments ago that his facility has averaged one death due to coronavirus each day since August, shortly after the time the council elected not to extend its mask ordinance.

Twenty-three percent of the patients currently at Freeman have COVID-19, an increase from about one in every 10 patients a few weeks ago to one out of every four.

Mercy Hospital President Jeremy Drinkwitz (pictured) told the council he had 52 co-workers out due to COVID-19 and that 39 percent of the patients at his hospital were there due to the coronavirus.

Drinkwitz warned that his hospital was near "the breaking point" and that a mask ordinance would buy it time.

"This is not forever," Drinkwitz stressed. "We got really good news this week on the vaccines." 

The council is listening to comments before making a decision on putting a mask ordinance back into effect.