EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – The Excelsior Springs Hospital drive-through COVID clinic closed Sunday.

During an April 15 work session at the Hall of Waters, hospital CEO Kristen DeHart told city leaders the clinic would close, citing a decrease in COVID cases.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data posted on the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services website indicates community COVID levels are low in Clay County. Clay, and neighboring Ray County, are among 107 counties statewide where levels are low. Seven counties, all clustered in northwestern Missouri, have medium COVID levels, the graphic shows.

Since opening in October, the clinic had administered more than 8,800 tests, DeHart reported. The clinic proved “very nice” as a public service, City Manager Molly McGovern said.

“I’ve used it more than once,” McGovern said.

But there might be a need to reopen the clinic – and clinics elsewhere – later this year, based on a conversation DeHart said she had with Gary Zaborac, the Clay County Public Health Center director of public health.

“He said, ‘Have a really good summer, because it’s going to be back in the fall,’” she said.

In other COVID-related news, DeHart announced the fourth vaccination shot is available for ages 50 and older, and she encouraged people in that demographic to take advantage.

Generally, drugstores handle vaccinations, DeHart said.

“If you’re already an established patient with a (health care) provider, you can get that through your provider,” she said. “But really, looking at the CVSs, Walmarts, Walgreens (are better) for that. They’re getting paid by the government to administer those shots.”

Health care guidelines “are encouraging” people to not mix vaccine brands, DeHart said during a brief question-and-answer session, though she acknowledged there are “probably people out there going, ‘I have no idea what I got.’” Still, health care leaders urge people to simply “get the booster, regardless” of whether they switch between the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, she said.