The Jefferson County Health Department reported 11 new confirmed COVID-19 cases today (June 18), bringing the county total to 456 cases.
“As we see our new case count elevate over the last few days, it’s important to remember that COVID-19 is still present within our communities,” Health Department Director Kelley Vollmar said. “We encourage the public to pay attention to the recommended guidance on our website and continue practicing preventative measures.”
Of the 456 cases in the county, 51 are open, or active, ones, according to the Health Department reported today.
The county has had 20 COVID-19 deaths, and 52 county residents have been hospitalized due to the coronavirus, the Health Department reported..
In addition, the Health Department, which has announced a new system to warn residents about the level of threat of the disease in the community, says the county currently is at the yellow guidance status, which means people should continue social distancing and taking other steps to prevent the spread of the virus, like frequently washing hands with soap and water or 60 percent alcohol-based hand sanitizer, wearing a face covering in public, staying home when you are sick, and covering your cough and sneeze.
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/unite-jeffcomo.
County coronavirus stats
The Health Department also reported that 15 of the county’s cases were transmitted through travel, 274 are from contact and 167 are unknown.
According to the Health Department, 187 of the county’s coronavirus cases have been men, 267 cases women and two unknown cases.
The confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county include two people younger than nine, nine people 10 to 19 years old, 50 people 20-29 years old, 66 people 30-39 years old, 65 people 40-49 years old, 91 people 50-59 years old, 84 people 60-69 years old, 40 people 70-79 years old, 47 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: 71 cases and 45 recovered cases in 63010 (Arnold), 17 cases and 17 recovered cases in 63012 (Barnhart), 28 cases and 20 recovered cases in 63016 (Cedar Hill), 11 cases and nine recovered cases in 63019 (Crystal City), 34 cases and 28 recovered cases in 63020 (De Soto), seven cases and six recovered case in 63023 (Dittmer), six cases and five recovered cases in 63025 (Eureka), 44 cases and 33 recovered cases in 63026 (Fenton), 115 cases and 101 recovered cases in 63028 (Festus), one case and one recovered case in 63047 (Hematite), four cases and three recovered in 63048 (Herculaneum), 24 cases and 17 recovered cases in 63049 (High Ridge), 14 cases and 11 recovered cases in 63050 (Hillsboro), 24 cases and 23 recovered cases in 63051 (House Springs), 42 cases and 30 recovered cases in 63052 (Imperial), one case and one recovered case in 63069 (Pacific) and 13 cases and 11 recovered cases in 63070 (Pevely).
In addition, the Health Department reported today that it has monitored a total of 781 cases, and of those, 189 are still actively being monitored and another 592 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, 156 have been at long-term care facilities, which includes residents and staff members who live inside Jefferson County.
In addition, 14 of the county’s 20 COVID-19 deaths have been at long-term care facilities.
At least five of the deaths at county long-term care facilities have been at Festus Manor Care Center.
According to a dashboard the state has set up, Jefferson County has had five COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities. In addition to Festus Manor, the outbreaks have been at 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, 23 are active ones, and 119 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 16,908 positive cases of the coronavirus and 946 deaths related to the disease, according to the DHSS.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported the U.S. had 2,155,572 cases, which includes 22,834 new cases and a total of 117,632 coronavirus-related deaths, including 754 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.
