Jefferson County Executive Dennis Gannon and Health Department Director Kelley Vollmar announced today (July 2) they are “strongly encouraging” residents to wear masks in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
“From the onset of COVID-19 in our communities we have worked to protect residents’ health and safety,” Gannon said in a written statement. “We ask that the residents of Jefferson County assist us in slowing the spread by practicing preventative measures such as hand washing, social distancing and wearing a face covering. In addition, I want to emphasize that this recommendation is highly encouraged.”
According to the statement, 72 positive COVID-19 cases were reported in the county in May and 176 cases were reported in June, an increase of 144 percent.
“We have seen a significant increase in our positive case count over the last few weeks,” Vollmar said. “It is imperative that the public do their part practicing preventative measures, like wearing a face covering in public. Actions taken now have a huge impact in the long run.”
On Tuesday (June 29), the Health Department launched the “#MaskUpJeffcoMO” campaign, asking Jefferson County residents to take a photo of themselves wearing a mask and post it on social media, along with a message about why they wear a mask. Those who post the selfies are asked to use the hash tag “#MaskUpJeffcoMO” and tag the Health Department for an opportunity to be featured on the agency’s social media pages.
The Jefferson County Health Department reported 11 new confirmed COVID-19 cases today, bringing the total number of cases in the county to 551 since the first ones were reported in March.
The Health Department also urges residents to pay attention to the Health Department’s system that warns about the level of threat to the community from COVID-19 at any given time. The system uses a green, yellow or red guidance status to indicate the level of threat.
Currently the county is at the yellow guidance status, which means people should continue taking preventive steps to curb the spread of the virus.
The system also has a green level, which is less restrictive, and a red level, which would have more restrictions in place.
For more information about the system, go to jeffcohealth.org.
County coronavirus stats
Of the county’s 551 cases, 497 are lab-confirmed cases and 54 are probable cases, according to the Health Department.
In addition, 54 of the county’s total cases are currently open, or active, ones, the Health Department reported today.
Active cases are the number of positive cases excluding COVID-19 deaths and those patients who have been released from isolation.
The Health Department reported that the county has had 23 COVID-19 deaths and 474 people have been released from isolation, which means they recovered enough to be released from case management.
In addition, the Health Department reported today that 15 of the county’s cases were transmitted through travel, 304 were from contact and 232 are unknown.
According to the Health Department, 228 of the county’s coronavirus cases have been men and 323 cases have been women.
The confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county include four people younger than nine, 16 people 10 to 19 years old, 67 people 20-29 years old, 75 people 30-39 years old, 81 people 40-49 years old, 111 people 50-59 years old, 95 people 60-69 years old, 52 people 70-79 years old, 48 people in their 80s or older and two unknown.
The Health Department also reported that cases in the county have been reported for the following ZIP codes: 87 cases and 68 recovered cases in 63010 (Arnold), 21 cases and 20 recovered cases in 63012 (Barnhart), 28 cases and 21 recovered cases in 63016 (Cedar Hill), 12 cases and 10 recovered cases in 63019 (Crystal City), 36 cases and 31 recovered cases in 63020 (De Soto), seven cases and six recovered case in 63023 (Dittmer), six cases and five recovered cases in 63025 (Eureka), 81 cases and 68 recovered cases in 63026 (Fenton), 119 cases and 103 recovered cases in 63028 (Festus), one case and one recovered case in 63047 (Hematite), four cases and four recovered in 63048 (Herculaneum), 28 cases and 21 recovered cases in 63049 (High Ridge), 16 cases and 11 recovered cases in 63050 (Hillsboro), 30 cases and 26 recovered cases in 63051 (House Springs), 56 cases and 39 recovered cases in 63052 (Imperial), one case and one recovered case in 63069 (Pacific) and 16 cases and 14 recovered cases in 63070 (Pevely). Two cases do not have ZIP code information.
In addition, the Health Department reported today that it has monitored a total of 939 cases, and of those, 267 are still actively being monitored and another 672 have been released from monitoring.
Brianne Zwiener, communications specialist with the Health Department, said a person who is being actively monitored has been in contact with a positive case, but is not showing symptoms.
She said people who are actively monitored are quarantined to their homes and must take their temperature twice a day for 14 days.
Long-term care facilities
Of the county’s total cases of the coronavirus, 189 have been at long-term care facilities, which includes residents and staff members who live inside Jefferson County.
Of the 23 deaths, 17 have been reported at long term care facilities, according to Health Department reports.
According to a dashboard the state has set up, Jefferson County has had five COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities. The outbreaks have been at Festus Manor Care Center; Big River Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Cedar Hill; Woodland Manor Nursing Center in Arnold; Scenic View Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Herculaneum; and Fountainbleau Nursing Center south of Festus.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) defines an outbreak as one or more residents testing positive for the virus or one or more staff members who have worked within a facility in the 14 days before testing positive.
Of the cases at long-term care facilities, nine are active ones, and 163 have been released from isolation. Residents in long-term care facilities go through two quarantine periods before being released from isolation, the Health Department reported.
Also, according to the Health Department, 19 people from long-term care facilities have been hospitalized.
State, U.S. stats
As of today, Missouri had 22,283 positive cases of the coronavirus and 1,022 deaths related to the disease, according to the DHSS.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported the U.S. had 2,679,230 cases, which includes 54,357 new cases, and a total of 128,024 coronavirus-related deaths, including 725 new deaths, as of today.
Anyone who shows coronavirus symptoms or who has questions should call the Missouri State Hotline at 877-435-8411 or the Mercy Clinical Support Line at 314-251-0500. For more information about COVID-19, visit jeffcohealth.org/coronavirus-covid19.
