FRIDAY UPDATES: Marshall plant suspends operations after 20 employees test positive for COVID-19
COVID-19 case numbers might differ among state and local health authorities because of issues with reporting and address verification.
UPDATE: 8:30 P.M.: The Conagra plant in Marshall has temporarily suspended its operations after about 20 employees tested positive for COVID-19.
According to a spokesperson, the facility will be closed until April 27 and the company will continue to pay employees while it is closed.
Officials said the company has been taking steps to prevent the spread of the virus. This included using social distancing techniques, screening temperatures and increased sanitation in common areas.
The spokersperson emphasized that the health and safety of workers is the company's top priority. Officials said when the facility reopens they will continue to use "rigorous plant maintenance, sanitation processes, and other preventative measures to maintain a safe work environment."
According to the Saline County Health Department, the county has a total of 60 positive cases, five of which are recovered.
UPDATE 5:50 P.M.: Neither Boone nor Callaway County authorities health authorities reported any new cases of COVID-19 on Friday.
Callaway County stood at 19 cases with 15 recovered, three active and one death. Boone County's total stood at 87 on Friday but the number of active cases dropped from 10 to seven. One person has died in Boone County, as well.
Cole County typically updates its website listing later in the evening. As of Thursday there were 41 cases in the county with only nine active cases. That had dropped to eight active cases with 32 recoveries ahead of the Friday evening update.
UPDATE 2:10 P.M.: State health authorities reported an increase in COVID-19 cases on Friday that failed to reach 200.
The state health department reported 5,283 cases on Friday, from 5,111 the day before, an increase of 172
The increase was reported on the same day Johns Hopkins University reported a 400-plus case increase in Missouri. The state said the disparity is because of reporting methods, with the university collecting data from various sources, including non-government sources.
St. Louis County continued to lead the state in COVID-19 cases at 2,088, according to the state's numbers.
The state reported 165 deaths, up from 152 reported on Thursday. Only eight of the deaths were in people under 50 years old.
Missouri data show that the state's new daily case growth is sporadic. April 6 marked the highest single daily gain in COVID-19 cases with 355. The state has only broken 300 cases once since then and has averaged 235 new cases per day since April 2.
Gov. Mike Parson has extended the state's stay-at-home order until May 3.
Parson will give his Friday briefing on COVID-19 at 3 p.m. Watch in the player below.
ORIGINAL: Hospitals in Jefferson City and Columbia altered hours for their COVID-19 testing operations.
MU Health Care announced Friday morning it will scale back the hours for its COVID-19 drive-thru testing site starting on Saturday. The testing site is located in the Mizzou softball stadium parking lot on Champions Drive.
According to a release, the testing site will be open from 8 a.m. - noon on Saturdays and 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. on weekdays. The site is closed on Sundays.
The release included patients who need immediate testing can go to University Hospital or Women's and Children's Hospital.
Hospital spokesman Eric Maze said more than 3,000 people have been tested at the site since it opened on March 18.
Capital Region Medical Center and Boone Hospital Center announced Thursday that the hospitals would also scale back hours for separate COVID-19 operations.
Capital Region said it adjusted the hours of its COVID-19 triage line and drive-thru testing area.
Hospital officials said the triage line would be in operation between 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Saturdays. The line is closed on Sundays. The hospital said the triage line is for patients experiencing COVID-19 symptoms but don't have a primary care provider.
According to a release, Capital Region adjusted the hours of its COVID-19 drive thru-testing location to 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Saturdays. The facility is closed on Sundays.
Boone Hospital said its collection site for COVID-19 tests will be open from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. - noon on Saturdays. It will also close on Sundays. The hospitals said the changes go into effect on Monday.
