The Jefferson County Health Department reported 18 new confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past two days, with five reported on Thursday (June 25) and 13 reported this evening (June 26).
That brings the total number of cases in the county to 519 since the first ones were reported in March.
“As we continue to see an increase in new cases reported recently, it is important to remember the role we all play in protecting not only our own health, but the health of those around us,” Jefferson County Health Department Director Kelley Vollmar said in a written statement today. “Wear your mask, wash your hands, protect public health.”
Of the county’s total cases, 466 are lab-confirmed cases and 53 are probable cases, according to the Health Department.
In addition, 61 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 21 COVID-19 deaths, and 437 people have been released from isolation, which means they recovered enough to be released from case management, according to the Health Department.
Vollmar 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 disease, like social distancing, wearing a mask in public, frequently washing your hands, 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.
County coronavirus stats
The Health Department also reported today that 58 county residents have been hospitalized due to the coronavirus.
In addition, the Health Department reported today that 15 of the county’s cases were transmitted through travel, 293 were from contact and 211 are unknown.
According to the Health Department, 209 of the county’s coronavirus cases have been men and 310 cases have been women.
The confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county include four people younger than nine, 12 people 10 to 19 years old, 59 people 20-29 years old, 72 people 30-39 years old, 75 people 40-49 years old, 102 people 50-59 years old, 93 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: 80 cases and 64 recovered cases in 63010 (Arnold), 20 cases and 18 recovered cases in 63012 (Barnhart), 28 cases and 22 recovered cases in 63016 (Cedar Hill), 11 cases and nine recovered cases in 63019 (Crystal City), 35 cases and 29 recovered cases in 63020 (De Soto), seven cases and six recovered case in 63023 (Dittmer), six cases and five recovered cases in 63025 (Eureka), 72 cases and 42 recovered cases in 63026 (Fenton), 118 cases and 104 recovered cases in 63028 (Festus), one case and one recovered case in 63047 (Hematite), four cases and four recovered in 63048 (Herculaneum), 26 cases and 21 recovered cases in 63049 (High Ridge), 16 cases and 11 recovered cases in 63050 (Hillsboro), 27 cases and 24 recovered cases in 63051 (House Springs), 51 cases and 37 recovered cases in 63052 (Imperial), one case and one recovered case in 63069 (Pacific) and 16 cases and 13 recovered cases in 63070 (Pevely)..
In addition, the Health Department reported today that it has monitored a total of 856 cases, and of those, 228 are still actively being monitored and another 628 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 519 total cases of the coronavirus, 188 have been at long-term care facilities, which includes residents and staff members who live inside Jefferson County.
There was one new case at long-term care facilities reported since Wednesday evening (June 24).
Of the county's 21 COVID-19 deaths, 15 have been at long-term care facilities.
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, 29 are active ones, and 144 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 19, 914 positive cases of the coronavirus and 990 deaths related to the disease, according to the DHSS.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported the U.S. had 2,414,870 cases, which includes 40,588 new cases, and a total of 124,325 coronavirus-related deaths, including 2,516 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.
