The Jefferson County Health Department reported four new confirmed COVID-19 cases since June 12, bringing the county total to 432 cases.
Of those cases, 48 are open, or active, ones, the Health Department reported today (June 15).
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 20 COVID-19 deaths, and 364 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 52 county residents have been hospitalized due to the coronavirus.
County coronavirus stats
According to the Health Department, 176 of the county’s coronavirus cases have been men, 254 cases women and two unknown.
The confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county include one person younger than nine, six people 10 to 19 years old, 45 people 20-29 years old, 63 people 30-39 years old, 61 people 40-49 years old, 90 people 50-59 years old, 79 people 60-69 years old, 39 people 70-79 years old, 47 people in their 80s or older and one unknown case.
The Health Department also reported that cases in the county have been reported for the following ZIP codes: 69 cases and 41 recovered cases in 63010 (Arnold), 17 cases and 17 recovered cases in 63012 (Barnhart), 28 cases and 18 recovered cases in 63016 (Cedar Hill), 11 cases and nine recovered cases in 63019 (Crystal City), 30 cases and 26 recovered cases in 63020 (De Soto), seven cases and six recovered case in 63023 (Dittmer), six cases and five recovered cases in 63025 (Eureka), 37 cases and 31 recovered cases in 63026 (Fenton), 114 cases and 98 recovered cases in 63028 (Festus), one case and one recovered case in 63047 (Hematite), four cases and three recovered in 63048 (Herculaneum), 19 cases and 15 recovered cases in 63049 (High Ridge), 14 cases and 10 recovered cases in 63050 (Hillsboro), 24 cases and 21 recovered cases in 63051 (House Springs), 36 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). Information is not available for one case.
In addition, the Health Department reported today that it has monitored a total of 769 cases, and of those, 190 are still actively being monitored and another 579 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.
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 432 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.
The Health Department announced June 11 that Festus Manor had been released from a 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.
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.
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 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, 27 are active ones, and 115 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 16,189 positive cases of the coronavirus and 880 deaths related to the disease, according to the DHSS.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported the U.S. had 2,085,769 cases, which includes 21,957 new cases and a total of 115,644 coronavirus-related deaths, including 373 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.
