FRIDAY UPDATES: Columbia to resume curbside recycling collection
UPDATE 5:45 P.M.: The city of Columbia says full residential trash and recycling collection will resume Monday.
Curbside residential recycling collection had been postponed for the past two weeks after several sanitation workers were exposed to COVID-19 and put into isolation.
"City officials thank customers and community members for understanding as services were modified during the past two weeks and for their support and kind wishes expressed for staff impacted by COVID-19," the city said in a news release.
UPDATE 5:15 P.M.: Columbia City Manager John Glascock issued a statement about the cancellation of the Boone County Fair, saying the COVID-19 pandemic and health orders in place would not allow the event to go forward.
"Many large gatherings, both public and private, have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic and the risk of illness," Glascock said in the statement. "For these kinds of events, social distancing and disinfection plans would need to be submitted to ensure the safety and well-being of visitors and participants."
Glascock said the city will talk with fair organizers about hosting the fair in future years and the event will go through the normal permitting process with the city council.
The Boone County Fair Board had been planning a scaled down event for mid-July, but health regulations that could be in place would continue to limit the size of public gatherings.
UPDATE 4:30 P.M.: Boone County reported eight new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total to 36 for the past week.
The latest cases bring the total since the pandemic began to 177. Of those cases 40 are active, an increase of four from Thursday. Another 80 contacts of active cases were in quarantine Friday.
Boone County has reported at least one new case every day but one since May 21, when cases stood at 108.
Two deaths in the county have been associated with COVID-19, with the most recent announced this week.
The Columbia/Boone County health department reports on its COVID-19 dashboard that nine county residents have been hospitalized for COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
The department reports 14 patients with COVID-19 currently in Boone County hospital intensive care units.
The state health department counts 59 new Boone County cases over the past two weeks. Another county that has seen a surge in cases is Audrain. Local health officials there reported 108 cases on Thursday with 43 of them active.
Another Mid-Missouri county, Saline, leads the state in the number of cases per 100,000 people. County health officials there reported 281 cases with 35 active on Thursday.
UPDATE 3:40 P.M.: The University of Missouri reported more than 400 new furloughs and more than 100 new pay cuts Friday as it continues to adjust for the COVID-19 pandemic's economic effects.
MU updates a web page every Friday afternoon with actions it has taken to save money as the coronavirus pandemic continues to drag down revenue. MU and MU Health Care have laid off 34 more workers since last Friday, bringing the total to 117, according to the page.
The university has furloughed 446 more workers, bringing that total to 2,129, and cut the pay of 119 additional workers since last week, bringing total pay cuts to 1,691.
MU officials say layoffs have saved $4.31 million; furloughs have saved $2.98 million and pay cuts have said $4.69 million.
The totals are current as of Wednesday.
The university in Friday's update said MU Athletics has cut $16.5 million from its 2020-2021 budget. Athletics, which is self-funded, has instituted pay cuts, furloughs and layoffs, as well. The department is taking a three-tiered approach to pay cuts, with workers who make less than $60,000 per year safe from slashing.
UPDATE 3:10 P.M.: Revenue collections in Missouri continue to drop because of the coronavirus, The Associated Press reported.
State Budget Director Dan Haug on Friday said as of May, net general revenue collections were down more than 7 percent this year compared to last year.
Revenue dropped significantly last month because of the coronavirus pandemic. In May alone, net general revenue decreased by more than 22% compared to May 2019.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has cut close to $428 million in state government spending this year to compensate.
UPDATE 2:10 P.M.: New COVID-19 cases in Missouri dipped just below 200 on Friday after hitting their highest level since May 4 on Thursday.
The total number of cases statewide increased to 14,253 on Friday, an increase of 196. The number was far below Thursday's 290 but was higher than many daily totals over the past several weeks.
Cases have risen 8.1 percent statewide over the past week, according to the state's information dashboard. The state reports 6.3 percent of those tested for live coronavirus have tested positive since the pandemic began in March.
Ten new deaths were reported Friday, bringing the total to 796.
Some Mid-Missouri counties have seen particularly fast growth in the number of cases. In Boone County, the state counts 50 cases over the last 14 days and 41 in that time frame in Audrain County.
State and local officials have repeatedly said they expect the number of cases to increase as testing increases. A statewide stay-at-home order expired May 4.
The Missouri Hospital Association reported Thursday that 598 Missourian hospitalized with COVID-19 among hospitals surveyed, an increase of 55. The number peaked at nearly 1,000 in early May.
Numbers for Friday were not yet posted.
Nearly 2,200 ventilators were available.
UPDATE 1:45 P.M.: The president of the Boone County Fair Board said the fair this year is canceled, but the board is working on having some type of event for young people to show their livestock and art.
The board posted an announcement Friday about the fair's cancellation on the Boone County Fair's Facebook page.
Cook said the event was canceled after city officials told the fair board the event could not happen because of the COVID-19 pandemic and health orders in place. Cook said officials did not cite more specific regulations from the county's health order.
A Columbie/Boone County health department spokesman said the order that the fair can't take place did not come from the department.
The fair board had recently announced plans to host a 4-H, livestock and FFA youth arts fair from July 14-18. Under a timeline unveiled by the county health director, public gatherings are expected to be limited to 100 people at that time.
Cook said the board is trying to organize an alternative event that will allow youth to participate in auctions and showing livestock and art but plans have not been finalized.
The board said the fair is expected to return to Columbia in 2021.
Columbia Independent School to have graduation Friday
Columbia Independent School will have a graduation ceremony Friday night.
The school said in a news release that it will host 13 graduates and their immediate families at 6 p.m. at the school's arts and athletics center.
The event will be streamed live on Zoom and on Facebook.
ORIGINAL: The state will conduct community COVID-19 testing this month in Montgomery and Chariton counties.
The nasal swab tests will look for signs of live coronavirus.
Testing will take place June 20 in Montgomery County and registration will open Monday, the Montgomery County Health Department said on Facebook.
In Chariton County, the Keytesville schools will play host to testing from 2 to 6 p.m. June 17. The site has not been added to the state's online signup page but will be soon, the Chariton County Health Center says.
Testing is available to any Missouri resident regardless of whether they have symptoms. There is no charge for the service.
Local health officials and medical providers, the Missouri National Guard and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services conducts the testing.
The state has already conducted one community testing event in Mid-Missouri. Nearly 1,500 people were tested in Columbia on Monday and Tuesday.
