FRIDAY UPDATES: State Historical Society of Missouri announces layoffs
8: 55 P.M.: The State Historical Society of Missouri cut 11 full-time jobs this week as it works through reduced funding attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another three-part time employees were also laid off, effectively immediately, the organization said Friday. Eleven of the layoffs were at the Center for Missouri Studies in Columbia, which just settled into its new building downtown. Workers in Kansas City, St. Louis and Springfield were also cut.
The historical society attributed the cuts to a drop of nearly $1.2 million in its state funding for the fiscal year that started July 1. Some staff could be rehired if some of those restricted funds are released, the organization said in a news release.
The State Historical Society of Missouri works to preserve and highlight materials significant to state history.
UPDATE 5:50 P.M.: Cole County tied its high for single-day new COVID-19 cases Friday.
The county recorded 13 new cases to reach 128. It was the second day in a row that Cole County logged 13 new COVID-19 cases.
The county has added 44 new COVID-19 cases in the past week after reporting only a few through May and early June. The jump comes as cases are on the rise statewide.
The county reported 38 active cases Friday, up four from Thursday, as some recoveries offset the new cases.
Several other Mid-Missouri counties also reported an increase in cases Friday. Cooper County reported Friday morning that three residents had tested positive to reach a total of 28. Of those cases, 15 are active.
Saline County, the most-infected county in the area before Boone's fast rise in numbers, reported eight new cases Friday, a day after reporting its region-leading fifth death. Six new active cases were reported.
Another former hot spot, Audrain County, reported three new cases. Active cases reached eight, an increase of two from the previous day.
Moniteau County logged another case but its number of active cases remained at 16. Pettis County reported four new cases and three new actives.
UPDATE 4:50 P.M.: Boone County’s new COVID-19 case numbers continued their decline Friday after setting a record two days before.
The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services reported 31 new cases Friday to reach 670. The county reported an additional 12 active cases to reach 271 as some recoveries offset the new positives.
Boone County has seen two days of declines in new daily cases since hitting a record of 52 on Wednesday. However, Friday’s total is tied for the fifth-highest since the pandemic began. Numbers have increased over the past several weeks, and Missouri’s top health official said cases in Boone County are helping to fuel a jump statewide along with those reported in metro areas.
The positive rate for COVID-19 tests of Boone County residents reached 16 percent for the week ending Thursday, according to the health department’s online COVID-19 dashboard. That number was at 0.9 percent to begin the month.
Despite fewer new cases being reported Friday, the five-day rolling average of new daily cases rose to 34.6 from the 32.4 reported Thursday.
The number of people in quarantine because they’ve had close contact with confirmed cases passed 500 for the first time Friday, reaching 560.
Health officials reiterated Friday that the crush of new cases is overwhelming contact tracers who investigate who COVID-19 patients have been around. They cited that as a reason for extending the county’s current reopening phase, which had been set to expire July 20.
In Columbia, an order requiring face coverings in most situations was set to take effect at 5 p.m. Friday.
University Hospital, which reported 20 COVID-19 inpatients Thursday, reported 17 on Friday. Boone County’s hospitals were reporting no shortages of workers, supplies or beds.
UPDATE 3 P.M.: Missouri added 662 cases of COVID-19 on Friday, a figure that fell short of the record but continued the trend of large jumps in the number of infected people statewide.
The jump pushed the state past 26,000 cases to reach 26,661 since the pandemic began. The state reported an additional 13 deaths to reach 1,064. The increase in cases was the third-highest of the pandemic.
Friday's new cases fell short of the record of 795 set Thursday. That was the second time in three days new cases set a record.
The state in recent weeks has seen its daily new COVID-19 case number jump, with figures routinely reported above 500. State health director Dr. Randall Williams said Thursday that the state average of positive tests is hovering at about 4 percent but will grow if new case numbers continue at their current pace.
Many of those new cases are in young people who are not wearing masks, practicing social distancing or properly washing their hands, Williams said.
The state's online dashboard with more complete numbers and county breakdowns had not been updated by the time this was published.
Williams said this week that hospitalizations are on the rise, as well. The dashboard reported 811 people hospitalized in Missouri with COVID-19 as of Monday. The number peaked at nearly 1,000 in early May but settled in around 600 or less for several weeks in May and June before ticking up.
University of Missouri reports fewer furloughs, more layoffs and paycuts
The University of Missouri reported 17 new layoffs and 166 new pay cuts Friday as part of its cost-saving efforts in the face of declining revenue.
MU posts updates on its budget actions to save money amid the COVID-19 pandemic on a website each Friday. The numbers are current as of the previous Wednesday.
MU reported 1,956 pay cuts to save $4.98 million at its last update. On Friday those numbers had grown to 2,122 and $5.19 million. Layoffs went from 148 to 165, with a total savings of $6.85 million.
Furloughs decreased but the money saved from them went up, according to the website. Furloughs went from 3,011 to 2,927 but the savings increased from $3.65 million to $3.82 million.
MU spokesman Christian Basi said the increase in savings might be from higher-paying jobs be selected for furloughs.
The numbers take into account both MU and MU Health Care.
UPDATE 1:47 P.M.:
NOTE: An item in the update below has been corrected after the health department corrected its announcement.
The Columbia/Boone County health department director extended the county's COVID-19 reopening plan on Friday.
Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services Director Stephanie Browning said in an email the reopening plan was extended until at least 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 10.
Social distancing guidelines and limiting gatherings to 100 people will remain in effect until the order is rescinded or modified.
Browning said the order was extended because health department workers are not able to keep up with contact tracing and active disease monitoring.
"Based on the numbers we have seen in the last couple of weeks, we need to pause our original reopening plans," Browning said.
The county is in step three of the second phase of reopening. The county was scheduled to move onto the next phase on July 20.
Boone County has added more than 200 COVID-19 cases over the past week. As of Friday afternoon, the health department said 639 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the county.
The health department said recently increasing COVID-19 cases could lead to delays in contact tracing.
UPDATE 10:52 A.M.: The University of Missouri said it follow Columbia's mask ordinance after it was exempted from the rule.
The school made the announcement on the MU Alert website Thursday night. According to the post, all people on-campus are required to wear a face mask indoors and outdoors.
Face coverings must be worn when 6 feet of social distancing from others is not possible.
The university said there are multiple exceptions to the rule:
- When people are alone in a private workspace or single-occupancy study rooms.
- When in a single or double residence hall room.
- While outdoors when maintaining 6 feet or more physical distance from others.
MU said recently it was requiring all students and employees to wear masks in class when the fall semester starts.
University officials have maintained students will have in-person classes when the semester starts. The post said university leaders will make adjustments as needed.
The university closed the MU Student Center, Memorial Union, MizzouRec Complex, university libraries, and the University Club dining hall to the public to decrease the spread of COVID-19.
The university said earlier this week it was reviewing its mask policies.
UPDATE 9:30 A.M.: The state and Cole County health departments, as well as, the Missouri National Guard tested more than 1,800 people for COVID-19 this week.
The community testing event was held in Jefferson City between Tuesday and Thursday.
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services spokeswoman Lisa Cox said 1,827 were tested, up from the event's goal of 1,500.
Cox said the event benefited from a streamlined testing process.
"It's also a simple and convenient way to be tested, and the MO National Guard has really done a great job executing it," Cox said.
The spokeswoman said people should start receiving results early next week.
The next Mid-Missouri community testing event will be held in St. James at Phelps Medical Group from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., according to the health department's website.
All Missouri residents can get tested for free at the events. State health officials said people don't need to have COVID-19 symptoms or a doctor's note to receive a test.
ORIGINAL: A face mask order is set to take effect in Columbia Friday.
Starting at 5 p.m., anyone ages 10 and older will be required to wear a face mask in indoor and outdoor spaces in city limits where social distancing is not possible.
Masks can be homemade or factory purchased. The city said if the mask is homemade it should be made from a soft material, like a t-shirt or bandana, and be at least two layers thick.
Anyone found violating the order faces a fine of up to $15. Businesses face fines of up to $100.
