The Jefferson County Health Department reported 105 new COVID-19 cases today (Oct. 29), including six new cases at long-term care facilities.
As of midnight Wednesday (Oct. 28), the county had a total of 6,230 COVID-19 cases since the first ones were reported March 23.
As of Oct. 28 at midnight, 876 of the county’s total cases were active ones, which includes lab-confirmed cases and probable cases, which are still under investigation and have not been released from either quarantine or isolation, the Health Department reported.
Of the 6,230 cases in the county, 5,735 were lab confirmed and 495 were probable cases. A case is considered probable when a person has been exposed to a positive case and is exhibiting symptoms, the Health Department reported.
A total of 1,216 people are in quarantine, which means a person has a confirmed exposure to the virus and is in the process of completing a 14-day quarantine period.
A total of 5,248 people have been released from isolation, according to the Health Department.
Of the county’s total coronavirus cases, 683 had been at long-term care facilities, which includes residents and staff members who live in Jefferson County.
The county has had at least 20 COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities, according to the Health Department.
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.
Health Department spokeswoman Brianne Zwiener said this is not the largest number reported in a single day. She said the Health Department reported 112 cases on Sept. 17.
Color status
On Wednesday, the Health Department reported the county was in the orange status on its COVID-19 warning system for a fourth consecutive week.
The orange level is the second highest level on the four-color system and indicates widespread but controlled transmission of the virus.
According to a tweet from the Health Department, the data is showing the county might be soon moving back to red status, which is the highest level, but the only thing keeping Jefferson County in the orange is the percent change in new cases slowing down this week.
An orange color status means over the previous week, the county, which has a population of about 225,000 people, had a rolling average of 10 to 24 new COVID-19 cases per day per 100,000 residents.
For the week of Oct. 18 to 24, the county had a seven-day rolling average of 23.11.
If the county has a rolling average of 25 or more cases pe6r day per 100,000 residents it is moved into the highest level, which is the red level.
The Health Department uses the Harvard Global Health Institute four-color system to indicate community transmission level.
State, U.S. stats
Missouri has had 17 positiv4,632e cases of the coronavirus and 2,870 deaths related to the disease, the DHSS reported today.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the U.S. has had 8,834,393 cases, and a total of 227,045 coronavirus-related deaths, as 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.
