Missouri this week expects to receive 50,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, 5,000 of which will be distributed in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas, he said. Another 10,000 doses will go to mass vaccination events, and the remaining 35,000 will go to “providers across the state,” he said.

“This will allow local providers to determine the most appropriate use of the single-dose option in their communities,” Parson said.

The governor touted the decreasing coronavirus hospitalization rate, saying that “virus activity” has declined for the seventh straight week. Hospitalizations for COVID-19 have fallen below 1,000 across the state “for the first time since September,” Parson said. Missouri’s seven-day positivity rate is at 4.5%, he said, and Missouri is currently the second lowest state in the U.S. for average daily cases.

“This is great news for Missouri and we believe the numbers will only continue to improve as more and more Missourians get vaccinated,” he said.

The state reported 467 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, up from 387 the day before. The seven-day average of new cases fell to 351, the lowest level since late June, according to a Post-Dispatch analysis.

Missouri health officials say 919,085 people have received a first dose of vaccine, or 15% of the state population. Nearly 482,000 have received a second dose.