TUESDAY UPDATES: Cole County at 38 COVID-19 cases
COVID-19 case numbers might differ among state and local health authorities because of issues with reporting and address verification.
UPDATE 8:05 P.M.: The Cole County Health Department reported one additional case of COVID-19 on Tuesday night.
The new case brings the total number of confirmed cases in the county to 38.
Of the 38 cases, 30 patients have recovered and 7 cases are currently active.
The county reported its first and only death on April 3.
UPDATE 5:15 P.M.: The city of Columbia plans to reopen two public golf courses.
The city said Tuesday in its daily COVID-19 news release that the L.A. Nickell and Lake of the Woods golf courses will reopen at 8 a.m. Friday. The reopening includes a long list of changes meant to keep social distancing in place and slow down the spread of COVID-19. The changes are:
- The clubhouses at both courses will be closed. Temporary walk-up windows have been installed at each clubhouse to minimize contact between staff and golfers.
- Golfers are encouraged to pay for their tee time online before arrival, or payment can be accepted at the walk-up window. Credit card payment is preferred but cash will be accepted.
- Golf carts will not be rented. Golfers are encouraged to walk the course. Personal golf carts will be allowed with only one golfer per cart. Only immediate family members in the same household will be allowed to be a passenger in private carts.
- Tee times will be available daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the courses set to close by 7 p.m. Tee times will be kept 18 minutes apart to maintain distance between golfers.
- There will be no water coolers on the course, concession operations or access to clubhouse or course restrooms. Two portable toilets will be set at each course near the clubhouses.
- Golfers will be allowed to bring their own food and beverage; however, the city’s liquor license does not allow for personal alcoholic beverages. Trash cans will be limited on the course, so golfers are encouraged to pick up after themselves.
- Devices have been placed in the cup to stop the ball from entering the cup. Golfers will not be allowed to remove the flagstick in each hole. Ball washers and bunker rakes have been removed.
- The driving range at Lake of the Woods will be open. The L.A. Nickell driving range remains closed for renovations. Clubhouse staff will sanitize baskets after each use. Golf balls are picked up mechanically and placed directly into a ball-washing machine.
- Golfers should arrive no more than 10 minutes before their tee time. After their round is complete, golfers should promptly leave the course. Groups will not be allowed to gather outside the clubhouse or in the parking lots.
- To remain in compliance with the current stay-at-home order restricting crowd size, there will be no tournaments until further notice.
The city said tee times can be made online at golfcolumbiamo.com or by phone, starting Friday, at 573.499.GOLF (4653).
UPDATE 4:45 P.M.: The website where Missouri residents can file unemployment claims will be down overnight for maintenance.
The Department of Labor web page created to help handle the historic level of claims filed during the COVID-19 pandemic carried a message Tuesday saying it would be down from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. for maintenance.
More than 90,000 Missourians filed for unemployment during the period captured by the most recent report released Thursday. Gov. Mike Parson said Tuesday that the first $600 unemployment supplements from federal COVID-19 stimulus should go to the unemployed this week.
Parson said $66 million in benefits have been paid out to 115,000 unemployed Missouri residents.
UPDATE 2:30 P.M.: Boone County's COVID-19 cases increased by four Tuesday.
County health officials said 83 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Boone County, up from 79 on Monday. State officials reported 87 cases in Boone County on Tuesday.
Boone County reported only 13 cases were active and 66 people have recovered. One person in Boone County has died from complications of the novel coronavirus.
Cole County health officials still reported 37 cases Tuesday afternoon, though the state reported 38. The state reported 20 cases in Callaway County, but county officials reported 19 late Monday.
Moniteau County cases increase
Moniteau County said Tuesday it has confirmed two more COVID-19 cases, bringing the county's total to six, and health authorities are labeling three other people "probable positives."
The county's fifth and sixth cases were confirmed by tests, the Moniteau County Health Department said in a news release Tuesday. The three probable cases have not been tested but came into contact with people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have shown COVID-19 symptoms.
Four Moniteau County COVID-19 patients have recovered, the health department said.
The two new cases were not reflected in numbers posted Tuesday by state health officials.
UPDATE 1:55 P.M.: The number of COVID-19 deaths in Missouri again tied its highest daily gain on Tuesday.
State health authorities said deaths went up 19, from 114 on Monday to 133 on Tuesday. Deaths also increased by 19 on two days last week.
The number of overall cases went up by nearly 300 to 4,686 cases, the state posted online. The state reported 4,388 cases Monday. The number stood at 3,037 a week ago.
The county with the most cases and deaths continues to be St. Louis County, with 1,851 cases and 53 deaths. All but five deaths statewide were in patients 50 years old or older.
About 48,000 Missourians have been tested so far. As of Monday, 571 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in Missouri, according to the Missouri Hospital Association. Tuesday's update had not been posted.
The percentage increase in cases has continued to fall as the overall numbers of cases has grown.
Gov. Mike Parson will give his daily COVID-19 briefing at 3 p.m. Watch it live in the player below.
UPDATE 11:50 A.M.: The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded Columbia Regional Airport nearly $19 million in federal stimulus funds to make up for lost revenue from COVID-19.
The FAA announced the funding Tuesday in a news release. The $18,763,287 for Columbia Regional Airport is part of more than $152 million awarded to airports in Missouri, according to the release.
The money can be spent on capital projects, operating expenses including payroll and utilities and debt service.
Columbia Regional Airport has seen a sharp drop in passengers since the COVID-19 pandemic began last month. The airport released March passenger numbers Tuesday, showing a 42.5 percent drop in passengers from March 2019.
UPDATE 11:30 A.M.: The Hy-Vee supermarket chain says it is starting full-service operations at some of its gas station pumps.
The company will offer the service at select pumps between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. every day for customers wanting to reduce their exposure to COVID-19. The store last month began dedicating its first hour after opening each day for shoppers at high risk of complications from COVID-19.
Customers can press the "fuel help" button on the pump or call the phone number posted on the pump for service. Employees can also deliver items from inside the convenience store to customers' vehicles.
Hy-Vee has stations near its locations on Conley Road, Grindstone Parkway and West Broadway in Columbia. The company also has a gas station outside its store on West Truman Boulevard in Jefferson City.
UPDATE 10:54 A.M.: Jefferson City authorities handed out 10 citations related to a stay-at-home order that went into effect last month.
The records request shows the first such citation was given out on April 3. According to the city data, the most recent citation was handed out just before midnight on Monday.
It included half of the violations happend on April 11. The records don't say if the citations were given to people or businesses.
Jefferson City Mayor Carrie Tergin signed an emergency declaration on March 27 that allowed the city to prosecute violations of the order in its municipal court system. The declaration includes businesses violating the order could have their city licenses revoked.
UPDATE 9:08 A.M.: Boone Hospital Center said Tuesday it will now use the hospital's laboratory to test inpatients for COVID-19.
The news release said inpatients at the hospital and emergency room would be eligible for the in-house laboratory testing.
According to a news release from the hospital, it will reduce the amount of time it takes to get results back. It included it takes about a day to get COVID-19 results back currently.
Hospital workers said Boone Hospital was waiting on federal officials to send COVID-19 testing kits to start using the laboratory. The hospital said it's working to have more test kits available.
ORIGINAL: The Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation pushed back the peak date for COVID-19 in Missouri on Tuesday.
According to data from the University of Washington institute, the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to peak on April 28. Last week the health institute reported novel coronavirus would peak April 19.
It's unclear as of Tuesday why the peak date was pushed back by more than a week.
The data includes Missouri will not have a shortage of hospital beds or ICU beds on April 28.
The new data shows Missouri will need about four times as many ventilators as previously reported. On April 7, the health institute said the state would need 95 ventilators, it shows on Tuesday that Missouri will need 393 ventilators.
Projections show Missouri could see up to 51 deaths per day on April 28. The health institute website said more than 700 state residents are expected to have died from COVID-19 on the peak date.
As of Tuesday, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said at least 114 people have died from novel coronavirus in the state.
Gov. Mike Parson's statewide stay-at-home order went into effect on April 6 and is expected to remain in effect through April 24.
