TUESDAY UPDATES: Cole and Saline counties report new COVID-19 cases
COVID-19 case numbers might differ among state and local health authorities because of issues with reporting and address verification.
UPDATE 8:00 P.M.: The Cole County Health Department updated its website to reflect two new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday night.
The department said it has seen a total of 34 positive cases. 18 of those cases are currently active and 15 people have recovered. The county reported its first death last week.
Saline County also reported three additional COVID-19 cases Tuesday night.
The Saline County Health Department announced on Facebook that the patients have been advised to quarantine at home.
UPDATE 2:30 P.M.: The number of people who have tested positive in Missouri for COVID-19 has surpassed 3,000.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported 3,037 cases Tuesday, up from 2,722 on Monday afternoon. The number is up from about 1,300 cases a week before.
The state reports 53 Missourians have died from COVID-19.
Cole and Boone counties have each seen one death, with the Boone County death the first in the state. The state reports 77 cases in Boone County, though local health authorities said Boone County had 71 cases Tuesday afternoon.
The state said about 31,000 people have been tested for COVID-19. State officials reported Tuesday that 508 people are hospitalized for COVID-19.
State and local health authorities reported 32 cases in Cole County and state officials reported 19 cases in Callaway County. State officials reported seven cases in Randolph County, though the county reported eight over the weekend that it has eight cases.
UPDATE 12:55 P.M.: The Associated Press reports that most of the COVID-19 deaths recorded by state officials are in older Missourians.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has cited 39 fatalities from the illness caused by the coronavirus. The toll rose by five Monday. The department also cited 2,722 confirmed cases, up 355, or 15%, from Sunday.
Eleven of the 39 Missouri residents who have died were age 80 or older, and 14 were in their 70s. Authorities on Tuesday announced the first death of a state prison inmate from COVID-19. The inmate was a man in his 50s from the Kansas City area.
UPDATE 11:41 A.M.: The Miller County Health Center announced on Tuesday that there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county after more than 100 people were tested.
According to a Facebook post from the health center, Miller County hospitals have tested at least 109 people as of Tuesday.
The post said nine of the tests were still pending results as of 9 a.m.
The health center said Monday that residents should follow state and county stay-at-home orders.
Miller County and Audrain County are among a small number of Mid-Missouri which haven't yet reported any positive coronavirus cases.
UPDATE 9:42 A.M.: The Howard County Health Department said Tuesday it confirmed its first case of COVID-19.
County health officials posted on Facebook that the case was confirmed at 8:35 a.m.
The health department said the case is under investigation.
As of Tuesday morning, at least 200 people in Mid-Missouri have tested positive for COVID-19. The state health department said Monday that there are 2,722 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus around the state.
ORIGINAL: The Missouri state Senate will reconvene at 11 a.m. Tuesday to begin talks on the supplemental budget which includes millions of dollars in federal funding to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a series of tweets Monday, Sen. Caleb Rowden said "Our main priority in this moment is to get these federal #COVID19 dollars in the hands of local govt’s, local public health agencies, hospitals & health care providers and so many others on the front lines of this fight as quickly as possible. We’re going to get through this!"
Lawmakers are encouraging Missourians to participate in the legislative proceedings via livestream to minimize exposure and every senator and their staff will be given masks to wear to fight the spread.
Senators hope to vote on the budget on Wednesday before the Missouri House begins its debate.
