FRIDAY UPDATES: Jefferson City Animal Shelter closed to public in light of stay-at-home order
UPDATE 9:25 P.M.: The Jefferson City Animal Shelter is closing to the public after city and county leaders issued a stay-at-home order, which goes into effect Saturday.
According to a news release, all owner surrenders, stray animal intakes and adoptions have been suspended.
Officials said the animals at the shelter will be cared for and animal control officers will still respond to calls.
Anyone with questions about the closure can call the shelter at 573-634-6429.
UPDATE 7:05 P.M.: Camden County has reported its first death due to COVID-19.
According to a news release, the county confirmed two additional cases, bringing the total in the county to four.
Health officials said one of the new cases is the county's first death.
Officials said they would not be releasing any personal information about the case other than it was a man older than 65.
The department is working to identify and notify close contacts of both cases. Officials said both new cases reportedly attended the West Side Pub Crawl on March 14.
UPDATE 5:50 P.M.: Spartan Light Metal Products is planning a temporary layoff of 332 workers at its Mexico, Missouri, plant.
The company gave the state official notice of the layoffs Thursday, according to a notice posted on a state website.
The notice chalked up the layoffs to an "unforeseeable, dramatic downturn in business caused by the coronavirus natural disaster and the resulting automaker shutdowns and the resulting impact on production."
Spartan also plans to lay off 72 workers in Hannibal.
UPDATE 5:30 P.M.: A City of Columbia worker has tested positive for COVID-19.
City Manager John Glascock told city employees about the positive case in an email message Friday afternoon, city spokesman Steve Sapp said.
"Yesterday we learned that a member of our City family has tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19)," Glascock wrote. "Columbia/Boone County Health and Human Services is aware of the test results and is actively conducting a risk assessment and contact investigation. Anyone who is identified as having contact with an individual who tests positive will be notified and provided with instructions per CDC guidance for proper self quarantining and to monitor themselves for symptoms as recommended in CDC guidance."
The message did not identify in which department the employee worked.
The city says it has directed much of its staff to work from home to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Boone County now has 42 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Cole County issues stay-at-home order
Cole County officials on Friday announced a stay-at-home order.
The order takes effect at 5 p.m. Saturday and expires April 11.
Watch video of the announcement in the player below.
UPDATE 4:10 P.M.: Boone County health officials say 42 people have now tested positive for COVID-19 in the county.
The number was up slightly from 40 earlier in the day and came after the state of Missouri posted a nearly 170-case increase.
The county posted the update shortly after the University of Missouri Police Department said two officers tested positive. However, it was not clear whether those two officers represented the two new cases tallied online.
The county says 13 of the 40 are from community transmission, meaning the patient did not pick up the novel coronavirus from travel or known contact with an infected person. Of those cases, 19 are in people 45 and older, county officials said.
UPDATE 3:45 P.M.: Two University of Missouri Police Department officers have tested positive for COVID-19, the department said in a statement Friday.
It wasn't clear from the statement when the officers tested positive.
MUPD said public health officials are working with MUPD and the officers who tested positive. The officers are in isolation, MU said.
“The health and safety of our officers and the campus community are top priorities for our department,” MUPD Chief Doug Schwandt said in the statement. “MUPD is following all CDC recommendations for first responders and using personal protective equipment, when appropriate.”
The MU campus is closed to all but essential employees and in-person classes have been canceled for the rest of the semester.
The number of COVID-19 cases statewide jumped nearly 170 on Friday to 670.
UPDATE 2:15 P.M.: The number of people in Missouri who have tested positive for COVID-19 has risen by nearly 170 cases.
The number stood at 502 until early afternoon, when the state updated its COVID-19 website to reflect 670 cases. Nine people have died from the virus, including a St. Louis County woman in her 80s on Thursday.
St. Louis County leads the state in the number of cases at 247, according to the state's numbers. Only 40 of the cases statewide are travel-related.
Boone County authorities reported 40 cases on Friday and Cole County authorities reported 12 cases.
Friday was the second straight day of major gains statewide -- the number jumped nearly 150 cases on Thursday. Health officials around the state have ramped up testing and processing of samples this week.
UPDATE 1:40 P.M.: Camden County has recorded its second positive COVID-19 test.
The county health department said Friday that a person in their 50s with no travel history has tested positive for novel coronavirus. The county reported its first case of the virus on Tuesday.
Camden County officials said no other information about the second patient would be released. The county has told the person to stay in quarantine and is investigating close contacts, according to the release.
The county reminded residents to follow a state order barring public gatherings of 10 or more people and to avoid people who are sick.
UPDATE 1:07 P.M.: Lake Regional Health System announced Friday it plans to open a COVID-19 drive-thru testing site on Monday.
The hospital said only people with appointments will be tested, no walk-ins will be accepted.
“We are refining our process during the weekend to ensure we can provide a safe, convenient experience for our patients,” Lake Regional CEO Dane Henry said.
According to the announcement, Lake Regional received more testing equipment and can perform more tests.
The hospital said people need to be screened before a test will be made available.
- If you’re feeling sick, get screened. Call your doctor’s office or Lake Regional’s 24/7 nurse call line at 573-348-7419. If you don’t have symptoms, you won’t be tested.
- If you meet testing criteria, your provider will schedule a virtual visit.
- If your provider orders a test, Lake Regional’s Parkway Testing Center will call you to schedule an appointment within 24 hours for drive-thru testing.
UPDATE 12:14 P.M.: A William Woods University spokesman said Friday 13 students have tested positive for COVID-19.
Spokesman John Fougere said five students who have confirmed cases of novel coronavirus are quarantined on-campus. He included three others are being monitored in Fulton.
Fougere said five other students who have tested positive are being monitored in their home towns outside of Fulton.
Two more students have tested positive for COVID-19 since Thursday.
UPDATE 11:30 A.M.: Boone County health officials now report 40 cases of COVID-19 in the county.
The number is up three from the 37 cases reported Thursday evening.
Of the cases, five were because of community transmission, meaning the patients picked up the novel coronavirus locally. Twenty-two of the cases are travel-related, the health department said on its website.
The state has reported 502 cases Thursday with eight deaths. One of those deaths was in Boone County.
UPDATE 9:43 A.M.: Gov. Mike Parson signed an executive order Friday morning mobilizing the Missouri National Guard to help with the state's response to COVID-19.
National Guard troops are receiving health and safety training, according to the letter sent out from the governor's office.
Parson made the decision after meeting with the leaders of several state departments.
“Mobilizing the National Guard will help us provide more immediate resources to our citizens and enhance Missouri’s ability to overcome this global pandemic,” Parson said.
President Trump approved a disaster declaration for Missouri yesterday.
ORIGINAL: Several Mid-Missouri counties confirmed their first cases of COVID-19 as the number of positives grows around the state.
Benton, Montgomery, Randolph and Moniteau counties all confirmed their first cases of novel coronavirus as of March 23.
As of Friday morning, health officials in Benton County and Randolph County have reported one positive case each. The Montgomery County and Moniteau County health departments have each confirmed two cases of COVID-19.
Since Monday, Boone, Cole, as well as Callaway counties added to the growing number of cases. Since Tuesday, the Boone County health department confirmed 17 more cases of COVID-19, bringing their total to 37.
County leaders in Boone and Randolph issued stay-at-home orders to stop the spread of coronavirus. Cole County officials have issued a similar stay-at-home advisory. The City of Fulton declared a state of emergency and issued a curfew on Tuesday night.
At least 73 people have tested positive for COVID-19 around Mid-Missouri. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said Thursday there are 502 cases of novel coronavirus around the state.
