WEDNESDAY UPDATES: New cases reported in Callaway, Cole counties
UPDATE 5:35 P.M.: Callaway County reported four new active COVID-19 cases since its last update Thursday.
The new cases bring the total in Callaway County to 48. The county reported 11 active cases, compared to nine reported on Thursday.
Callaway County has experienced a sustained but slow increase in cases after, adding 15 in June. Meanwhile, the state and neighboring Boone County have set records for new daily cases multiple times over the past two weeks.
Cole County reported one new case Wednesday, bringing its total to 78. However, the number of active cases remained at 14 as the new case was offset by a recovery.
The county reported nearly 7,200 tests of Cole County residents, with a little more than 1 percent testing positive as of Tuesday.
Like Callaway, Cole County has experienced a sustained but slow increase in cases. Cole County cases have jumped from 57 two weeks ago.
Community testing available to anyone will take place July 7 to July 9 at the Cole County Health Department in Jefferson City. Details and registration are available at this link.
UPDATE 5 P.M.: Boone County's COVID-19 cases increased again by double digits Wednesday while other Mid-Missouri counties saw smaller jumps.
Cases in Boone County went up by 11 to reach 390 on Wednesday, a day after the county reported 25 new cases to hit a record high. Boone County continues to see a surge in new cases, with 37 reported over the last three days.
The number of active cases decreased by one to 107.
The double-digit increase Wednesday continues a sustained surge in the county's cases over the past several weeks. The county's five-day average of new cases fell from 12 on Tuesday to 11 on Wednesday, according to the Columbia/Boone County Health Department's information hub. That number was at one or less from mid-April to late May.
Four Boone County residents were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Wednesday, down from seven last week. Health officials reported 246 people were in quarantine Wednesday because they've had contact with known cases.
The county's hospitals were treating 10 patients with COVID-19, including residents of other counties. Seven of those patients are in ICUs and four are on ventilators.
Boone County hospitals reported no shortages in equipment, beds or staff.
Miller and Pettis counties each reported three new cases Wednesday. Miller County is among the top 10 in the state for case growth, according to the state's COVID-19 information hub. The county's cases stood at 17 on Wednesday with seven active.
Pettis County's active cases went down by five despite the three new cases, as recoveries offset the new positives. A patient that was hospitalized for 66 days was also released, the county health department said.
Central Methodist University employee tests positive
A spokesperson for Central Methodist University said Wednesday that a worker on its Fayette campus in Howard County tested positive for COVID-19.
The spokesperson said all close contacts of the infected worker have been informed.
UPDATE 3:20 P.M.: St. Louis and St. Louis County decided Wednesday to institute a mask requirement to slow down COVID-19.
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson announced the decision on social media, saying it will take effect Friday and require face coverings to be worn at all times in public indoor spaces and outside when social distancing isn't possible.
The move comes as several cities in Missouri consider masks requirements amid a record surge in COVID-19 cases in the state and nationwide.
Columbia and Boone County health officials are crafting a mask requirement after Mayor Brian Treece requested an ordinance the city council could vote on. It's not clear when that work will be finished.
The council meets Monday.
ORIGINAL: Missouri's COVID-19 cases increased by 376 on Wednesday, well below the average of the past seven days.
New daily cases have seen a large increase over the past two weeks, setting daily records multiple times. The seven-day rolling average of cases reached 437 on Wednesday, up from 359 on Thursday, when the state set a record for new daily cases.
The average for May 1-May 7, during which a state stay-at-home order ended, was about 254.
Wednesday's increase brought the state's total cases since the pandemic began to 21,927. Deaths increased by two to reach 1,017.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported Wednesday that cases have increased nearly 10 percent statewide over the past week. Miller County has experienced the 10th-highest percentage increase in cases over the past week, adding 36 percent more cases.
Close to 390,000 Missourians have been tested for the live coronavirus, with 5.5 percent of those testing positive, according to state health department figures.
The Missouri Hospital Association reported 592 Missourians hospitalized with COVID-19 Wednesday. The peak was near 1,000 in early May.
Regional data on hospitalizations is expected to be released Wednesday but was not available at the time of publication.
