WEDNESDAY UPDATES: Saline County reports two more deaths
UPDATE 6:30 P.M.: Two more people have died from COVID-19 in Saline County.
The Saline County Health Department reported Tuesday that deaths there from COVID-19 had reached nine, up from seven the day before. The Saline County Health Department has reported more deaths from COVID-19 than any other health authority in Mid-Missouri.
Saline County also reported a jump of 21 cases Wednesday, with active cases increasing by 15, and now reports 498 cases since the pandemic began.
The jump was the biggest in Saline County in more than two months.
Cole County, which reported a record 65 cases on Saturday, logged 22 new cases Wednesday to bring its total to 621 since the start of the pandemic. The county has now recorded 331 cases this month.
Several cases that were reported on previous days -- including one on Saturday -- were removed from the total.
The number of active cases only increased by three to hit 150.
Other area counties reporting new cases Wednesday include Morgan (4), Pettis (8), Chariton (1), Randolph (8), Howard (1), Cooper (5) and Audrain (4).
Boone County ties record for daily COVID-19 cases
UPDATE 5 P.M.: Health officials in Boone County reported 59 new CVOID-19 cases Wednesday, tying the record for most cases reported in a day.
The new cases brought the county's total to 1,700 since the pandemic began. Even with the record jump in cases, the number of active cases dropped by 19 as recoveries offset Wednesday's gains.
The new cases reported Wednesday match the record set Aug. 1. The county initially reported 61 cases that day, but two cases were later assigned to other counties.
The new cases pushed the five-day rolling average of daily cases up five points to 32.6. About 360 tests have been performed over the last two days in Boone County, according to the county health department's COVID-19 dashboard.
Another 633 Boone County residents were in quarantine because they were exposed to the novel coronavirus.
It wasn't clear Wednesday how much the jump will affect the number Columbia Public Schools is using to determine whether students will have in-person classes. That number -- cases per 10,000 people over the last 14 days in the district's boundaries -- was at 24.2 on Tuesday.
The district is planning to have students in class two days per week right now. The number would have to dip below 10 to put children in classes five days per week or go over 50 for classes to be online-only.
Boone County hospitals reported treating 27 patients with COVID-19. However, they reported no shortages of staff, equipment or beds.
Seven of the hospitalized patients are on ventilators.
Missouri's new COVID-19 cases rise back above 1,000
UPDATE 2:20 P.M.: Missouri's daily COVID-19 case total jumped back above 1,000 with about 450 more new infections reported Wednesday than the day before.
However, the state's rate of positive cases slipped lightly.
Missouri reported 1,258 new COVID-19 cases and 12 more deaths Wednesday. The state has now reported 70,675 cases and 1,414 deaths through the entire pandemic.
The new case total was back above the 1,000 mark after dipping below it for the first time in a week Tuesday. The 12 deaths were double the total reported Tuesday.
The state's seven-day positive rate -- a measure of the percentage of people tested for novel coronavirus who get a positive result -- fell a tenth of a point to 11.1 percent.
Health officials have said numbers below 10 percent are ideal. The rate has been on its way up this summer and reached nearly 12 percent last week. State leaders say many of the newer cases are in younger people who are less vulnerable to the virus but who can still spread it to more vulnerable people.
New cases and the positive rate have been increasing in Boone and Cole counties, as well. The state's online COVID-19 dashboard says Cole is now in the top 10 counties for fastest percentage growth in cases. Dozens of those cases are associated with an outbreak at the Jefferson City Manor nursing home that has killed three people.
Boone County remains among the top 10 jurisdictions in the state for most COVID-19 cases.
The Missouri Hospital Association reported 875 Missourians hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Sunday -- the latest figures available. The number has stayed in the upper 800s for the last week.
Missouri sees job growth, lower unemployment over July
UPDATE 11:50 A.M.: A report from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center released Wednesday morning said the state saw job growth and lower unemployment last month.
With seasonal adjustments, the report said the Show-Me State added 52,200 jobs in July.
According to the report, the sevice industry led statewide job growth adding more than 43,900 jobs. The goods-producing industry added more than 8,300 jobs last month.
It included the unemployment rate last month was 6.9 percent, down from a revised rate of 7.8 in June. The rate has fallen every month since April when the unemployment rate was revised upward to 10.2.
A little more than 211,000 Missourians were out of work in July, down by 25,000 from 236,000 in June, the report said.
The data said Missouri's unemployment fell below the national average of 10.2 percent.
State economic leaders said the state unemployment rate was still more than double what it was last year. In July 2019, the unemployment rate without seasonal adjustments was 3.8 percent and 3.2 with adjustments.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its most recent report released on Aug. 7 that nationwide employment rose by 1.8 million. It resulted in a nearly 1 percent drop in the nation's unemployment rate.
Cooper, Miller and Moniteau counties see continued rise in COVID-19 cases
UPDATE 10:30 A.M.: Three Mid-Missouri cases saw an increased rise in COVID-19 cases after updates posted on Wednesday.
The Cooper County Public Health Center posted on its website total cases grew to 184 after a 24-hour increase of six.
Active coronavirus cases went up by three and recovered cases went down four, according to the website.
The Miller County Health Center COVID-19 dashboard said confirmed cases went up two to 166. The site included active cases topped out at 26, recovered cases were reported at 139.
At least five people in the county were hospitalized with coronavirus as of Wednesday.
According to the Moniteau County Health Center, confirmed coronavirus cases grew to 188, up six from Tuesday.
Even though more cases were confirmed, active COVID-19 cases went down by 19. The website said 167 county residents have recovered.
The health center included 14 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 since the pandemic started.
Helias High School returns to in-person classes
Helias Catholic High School held its first full day of entirely in-person classes on Wednesday as COVID-19 case numbers continue to rise in Cole County.
During an ABC 17 "Return to Learn" interview with the Helias President Kenya Fuemmeler, she said one big change students will see is a switch in their schedules.
Class schedules will move from seven class periods to eight to create smaller class sizes. This will allow for more space to practice social distancing.
The school will require and provide students and staff masks everywhere they cannot social distance, such as hallways during passing periods, on buses to and from school, and athletic events.
Fuemmeler said there will also be extra sanitizing measures in place and that this year the school is ready to provide a true online learning format if needed.
