Several Jefferson County students have tested positive for COVID-19.
In addition, a couple of county restaurants recently had an employee test positive for the virus.
St. Pius X High School officials learned during the week of Aug. 10 that “a small number” of the school's students have tested positive for COVID-19, school president Jim Lehn said.
Last week, the Festus R-6 School District reported that a high school student athlete had tested positive.
The St. Pius students who tested positive for virus had not been in class since school started, Lehn said.
St. Pius freshmen started classes on Aug. 14 and the rest of the students started today (Aug. 17), he said.
Lehn said he did not know if the students who tested positive were symptomatic.
He said the students will be isolated for 10 days in accordance with the Jefferson County Health Department guidelines. The students are not allowed to return to school until after they're cleared by the Health Department or a medical professional.
“We have all of the procedures, policies and protocols in place to minimize the spread of COVID-19,” Lehn said. “We are adamant about providing in-class education to our students, because that is the most optimal way to learn.”
The first day of school for Festus R-6 is set for Aug. 24, so the district’s student who tested positive had not been in school, although he had been participating in practices for a fall sport.
Festus school officials said anyone who may have been exposed to the virus would be contacted by the district or the Jefferson County Health Department.
Restaurants
The Main and Mill Brewing Co. reported last week on its Facebook page that one of its employees had tested positive for the virus.
“Today we had one employee inform us that they tested positive for COVID-19, the restaurant and beer brewing company said in the Aug. 12 post. “This employee last worked on Aug. 7 and hasn’t been at the brewery since that time. They wore their mask and took all precautions that we have as policy. We have been advised to quarantine three other employees that were in contact with this employee for greater than 15 minutes closer than 6 feet. We are actively working with the Jefferson County Health Department and following CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines as we continue to be as safe as we possibly can. We are continuing to take an abundance of precautions as this continues as we have since our reopening. The Health Department did not feel closing was necessary due to this particular situation and the precautions we have taken. According to the Health Department, customers were never at risk and no action needs to be taken on your part if you ate at our brewpub at any time in the last week.
“We appreciate all the support everyone has given since our reopening. We will continue to do everything we can to keep our team and guests safe. We do not take your safety lightly and work to keep the community's confidence during these times.
Every one of you who has frequented our curb-side or come in is appreciated greatly.”
The Dough Depot in Kimmswick reported Aug. 11 on its Facebook page that an employee tested positive for COVID-19.
The employee worked Aug. 4, Aug. 6 and Aug. 8, the restaurant said in the post.
“The risk of exposure is very low as our employees do wear masks at all times,” the restaurant said. “Our staff has been diligent in following all sanitation and safety precautions. However, out of an abundance of caution, we will be closed until Tuesday Aug. 18. During this time we will deep clean and sanitize our entire restaurant. The safety of our customers and staff is our top priority.
County coronavirus stats
The Jefferson County Health Department reported 160 new COVID-19 cases in the county since its last report on Aug. 14, including 29 cases at long-term care facilities.
An additional 42 cases were reported Aug. 14 after the report went out that day. In addition, 43 new cases were reported on Saturday (Aug. 15), another 40 cases were reported on Sunday (Aug. 16) and 35 cases were reported today (August 17), according to the Health Department.
After those additional 160 cases, it brings the total number of cases in the county to 2,166 since the pandemic began.
“We are seeing a drastic increase in positive cases, particularly in our 20-29 age group,” Health Department Director Kelley Vollmar said this evening. “Each of us has a responsibility to protect our loved ones regardless of our age or health status. Wear your mask, maintain 6-foot social distance and avoid crowds – help protect public health.”
The Health Department reported 17 new cases in the 20-29 age group since Aug. 14.
Of the county’s total cases, 665 are open, or active, ones – the highest number of active cases since the first ones were reported in March, the Health Department reported.
Active cases are the number of positive cases excluding COVID-19 deaths and those patients who have been released from isolation.
The county has had 28 COVID-19-related deaths, and 1,463 cases have been released from isolation, which means the patients recovered enough to be released from case management, according to the Health Department.
Ten other cases are under investigation.
The Health Department reported August 12 that it had revised the color system it uses to warn residents about the level of threat to the community from COVID-19 and the preventive steps needed to curb the spread of the virus.
The county currently is at the orange stage, which indicates substantial but controlled transmission of the virus in the county. It means the county is seeing 10 to 24 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per day and health officials advise residents to follow the recommended steps to curb the spread of the virus.
Orange is the third-highest stage, behind the red stage, which means there is substantial, uncontrolled transmission in the community and calls for the most restrictions to limit the spread of the disease, such as a stay-at-home order.
The county, which has a population of about 225,000, would move into the red stage if it were seeing 25 or more new cases per 100,000 people per day, according to the new system.
The color system also has a yellow stage, which indicates minimal to moderate transmission of the virus and a green stage that means no to minimal transmission.
For more information about the system, go to jeffcohealth.org.
The Health Department has begun receiving hospitalization data from hospitals in the BJC and Mercy systems, and is still working to find a way to get the information from the SSM system.
According to the numbers from just BJC and Mercy, as of Aug. 8, a total of 123 Jefferson County residents had been treated for COVID-19 in their hospitals.
The Health Department also reported that 305 people in the county had tested positive for the coronavirus and 1,728 test negative during the week that began August 2 (the most current data in that category), which translates into a 15 percent positivity rate – the county’s highest positivity rate since the pandemic began.
Of the county’s total cases, 1,990 are lab-confirmed cases and 176 are probable cases, according to the Health Department today.
The Health Department also reported that 31 of the county’s cases were transmitted through travel, 949 were from contact and 1,186 are unknown.
According to the Health Department, 830 of the county’s coronavirus cases have been men, 1,063 cases have been women and 273 are unknown.
The confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county include 56 people younger than nine, 153 people 10 to 19 years old, 404 people 20-29 years old, 309 people 30-39 years old, 337 people 40-49 years old, 317 people 50-59 years old, 240 people 60-69 years old, 133 people 70-79 years old, 139 people in their 80s or older and 78 unknown.
The Health Department did not have updated ZIP code information when the report was issued this evening.
In addition, the Health Department reported today that it has monitored a total of 2,276 cases, and of those, 725 are still actively being monitored and another 1,551 have been released from monitoring.
Brianne Zwiener, Health Department communications specialist, 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, 389 have been at long-term care facilities, which includes residents and staff members who live inside Jefferson County.
The county has had at least 13 COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities, the Health Department reported.
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 county’s 28 COVID-19 deaths, 21 have been in long term-care facilities, the Health Department reported.
The Health Department also reported that of the total number of cases at long-term care facilities, 157 are active ones, and 211 have been released from isolation. Residents in long-term care facilities go through two quarantine periods before being released from isolation.
State, U.S. stats
Missouri had 68,623 positive cases of the coronavirus, including 3,353 new ones since Friday, and 1,393 deaths related to the disease, including 58 new ones since Friday, according to the DHSS as of today.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported the U.S. had 5,382,125 cases, which includes 41,893 new cases, and a total of 169,350 coronavirus-related deaths, including 654 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.
