The Jefferson County Health Department announced 16 new COVID-19 cases this evening (June 11).
However, 15 of those cases are IgG-positive cases, which means the people tested positive for the Immunoglobulin antibody, indicating they had the coronavirus, health officials reported.
Those patients were exhibiting symptoms, said Brianne Zwiener, communications specialist for the Health Department.
“Previously IgG positives were not counted as COVID-19,” the Health Department said today in a written statement. “New guidance and criteria from CDC (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and Missouri DHSS (Department Health and Senior Services) states they can be counted, so our team went through additional investigations and determined that 15 IgG cases in Jefferson County met case definition to be considered probable.”
With the 15 IgG-positive cases and the one new case today, that brings the total number of COVID-19 cases in the county to 427, according o the Health Department.
Festus Manor
In addition, the Health Department reported today that it has released 56 long-term care residents from isolation and 109 long-term care facility staff members from monitoring.
The Health Department also announced that the Festus Manor has been released from the facility voluntary isolation and quarantine order that was placed on April 19, after at least 62 residents and 25 staff members at Festus Manor tested positive for the coronavirus.
“We are so encouraged by the Jefferson County Health Department’s decision to lift our facility order,” Festus Manor interim administrator Becky Peterson said. “Our staff has been working diligently to reach this milestone. This achievement, paired with the fact that all our residents and staff are considered ‘well,’ brings us great joy and excitement.”
Festus Manor was released from the order after it had no new cases among residents or staff members for two full quarantine periods, which is 28 days, the Health Department reported.
The last positive case of the virus at Festus Manor was identified on May 5, and the person has made a full recovery, according to the report..
County coronavirus stats
Of the 427 cases in the county, 53 are 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 as of today, the county has had 20 COVID-19 deaths, and 354 people have been released from isolation, which means they recovered enough to be released from case management.
The minimum criteria to be released from case management is that patients “are seven days past the onset of their symptoms, they have improved symptoms and they are fever free for at least 72 hours,” Health Department Director Kelley Vollmar said.
The Health Department also reported today that 51 county residents have been hospitalized due to the coronavirus.
According to the Health Department, 176 of the county’s coronavirus cases have been men and 251 cases women.
The confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county include one person younger than nine, six people 10 to 19 years old, 44 people 20-29 years old, 62 people 30-39 years old, 60 people 40-49 years old, 89 people 50-59 years old, 79 people 60-69 years old, 39 people 70-79 years old and 47 people in their 80s or older.
In addition, the Health Department reported today that it has monitored a total of 772 cases, and of those, 236 are still actively being monitored and another 536 have been released from monitoring.
Zwiener 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.
Vollmar said it is important to continue taking steps to limit the spread of the virus and urges residents to continue practicing social distancing, 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.
Long-term care facilities
Of the county’s 20 COVID-19 deaths, 14 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.
The Health Department reported that 156 of the county’s COVID-19 cases have been at long-term care facilities, which includes residents and staff members who live inside Jefferson County.
According to a dashboard the state has set up, Jefferson County has had five 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 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, 30 are active ones, and 112 have been released from isolation. Also, according to the Health Department, 18 people from long-term care facilities have been hospitalized.
Residents in long-term care facilities go through two quarantine periods before being released from isolation, the Health Department reported.
State, U.S. stats
As of today, Missouri had 15,390 positive cases of the coronavirus and 860 deaths related to the disease, according to the DHSS.
The CDC reported the U.S. had 1,994,283 cases, which includes 20,486 new cases and a total of 112,967 coronavirus-related deaths, including 834 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.
