Gov. Mike Parson

Missouri drivers will soon have to start paying a higher gas tax. It’s been called an overdue increase needed to repair crumbling roads and bridges. But others think it's an unfair tax on the population.

Gov. Mike Parson signed a law on Wednesday that reduces the penalty for those convicted of transmitting HIV to another person. Advocates and public health professionals are hopeful the new laws will lead to more people seeking HIV testing and treatment.

Under the new law, Missouri counties and towns will only be able to issue orders that restrict access to businesses, churches and schools for 30 days when the governor declares a public health emergency. Without it, they can impose restrictions for 21 days. The law also bars officials from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccinations to use public facilities and services.

Missouri is among the worst states in the nation in percentage of population vaccinated, but Gov. Mike Parson said that could turn around soon.

State and local health officials, the National Guard and volunteers gave nearly 3,500 residents the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park on Thursday. The vaccine distribution was one of several state-run events being held in the region through the weekend.

Two large-scale events at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park will inoculate approximately 6,000 people next Thursday and Friday. Other state-run vaccination events will take place through Saturday.

More coronavirus vaccination events are coming to St. Louis and Kansas City starting next week, Gov. Mike Parson said Thursday. A higher percentage of people are interested in receiving the vaccine in urban centers than in rural areas, Parson said. Because of that difference in demand, more mass vaccination events will be moved to the state’s two largest metropolitan areas.

On March 15, teachers, government employees and other essential workers will join health care workers, first responders and people with high-risk health conditions as those able to receive the coronavirus vaccine. That means about 3.5 million people, or more than half of Missouri's population, will then be eligible to get the vaccine.

Thousands of patients in the region are still scrambling to get the coveted coronavirus vaccine. Missouri has one of the lowest coronavirus vaccination rollouts in the country. As of this week, 6% of the state's 6 million residents have received their first dose of the vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In an internal video conference call with vaccine providers on Tuesday, a state health department spokesperson said people are frequently missing their second vaccination appointments, which is causing logistical issues.