MONDAY UPDATES: Morgan County reports four COVID-19 related deaths
UPDATE 6:40 P.M.: Morgan County Health Center is reporting four novel coronavirus related deaths of residents in Morgan County.
The Morgan County Health Department reports four new cases in the county, raising the total to 298 since the pandemic began.
Current there are 89 active cases, down 11 since the county last reported. There are now six people hospitalized.
The county is also reporting 11 new recoveries. That brings the total number of recoveries to 203.
Boone County sees smallest COVID-19 daily case increase in month-plus; five die in Pettis
UPDATE 4:40 P.M.: Boone County reported its smallest daily COVID-19 case increase in more than a month Monday.
The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services reported 16 new cases Monday for a total of 4,302 since the pandemic began. That's the smallest new daily case number since Aug. 17, when the county reported 11 new cases.
New cases in Boone County are continuing a downward trend from the peak of 221 recorded on Sept. 5. New cases have remained at less than 100 since that day.
The health department reported 373 active cases Monday, a drop of 89 from the day before. Another 1,105 people are in quarantine because of exposure to the novel coronavirus.
The downward trend in new cases has helped push a number tracked by Columbia Public Schools below the level at which administrators would recommend students attend in-person classes part-time.
CPS tracks the number of cases over 14 days per 10,000 people in its boundaries. That number dropped to 49.2 on Monday after peaking at 91.4 on Sept. 7. The benchmark for having classes in-person two days each week is 49.
The school board has asked the superintendent for a phased plan to return students to classrooms. The board meets Thursday in a special session.
CPS students started the year online-only Sept. 8 after the board voted for classes to take place all online through September.
The number of people hospitalized in Boone County dropped Monday to 51, 10 fewer than the peak of 61 reached last week. The health department reports 21 of those patients are in intensive care, with 11 of them on ventilators.
Pettis County reports five new deaths
The Pettis County Health Center has reported five new deaths from COVID-19.
The deaths reported Monday bring the county's total since the pandemic began to 16, which is the highest number of deaths in Mid-Missouri. Cole County is next with 14.
The health center said it would release no other details about the people who died. The county also added 56 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend for a total of 1,000. Active cases increased by 20 to reach 171.
Missouri COVID-19 cases steady while hospital stays hit high
UPDATE 2:20 P.M.: Missouri's new COVID-19 cases stayed relatively steady Monday compared to numbers reported over the weekend.
However, the state's number of COVID-19 hospitalizations has hit highs not previously seen during the pandemic.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported 1,463 new cases Monday for a total of 114,307 since the pandemic began in March. The state reported 12 new deaths for a total of 1,807.
The state reported an 11.6% positivity rate over the last seven days, a drop of two-tenths of a percent from the day before. The rate is down from highs in recent weeks around 13% but remains higher than the 10% level that health officials say is cause for concern.
The state rate remains lower than the rate in the central region of Missouri for last week of 15.6%.
Hospitalizations of Missourians with COVID-19 hit a record of 1,064 as of Thursday, the last available figure, according to the state's online COVID-19 dashboard. The number has been on a mostly upward trend over the past two weeks.
The situation is much the same locally, with hospitalizations near a record after weeks of new case increases driven in part by more positives in younger people. That surge has brought Boone County to No. 7 on the state's list for jurisdictions with the most cases.
However, active cases in University of Missouri students living in Boone County have been on the way down. MU reported a decrease of 30 active cases over the weekend, with 154 cases now active.
Miller County records sixth COVID-19 death
ORIGINAL: Miller County reported its third COVID-19 death in five days Monday.
The Miller County Health Center reported the death Monday morning on its Facebook page, bringing the county's total to six. The department did not give any information about the person who died.
The department reported the fourth and fifth deaths from COVID-19 in county residents on Wednesday. Those deaths were among about a dozen reported last week in Mid-Missouri counties.
The health center reported a jump of 25 cases over the weekend for a total of 441. However, the number of active cases decreased by seven to reach 73.
Seven Miller County residents are hospitalized with COVID-19.
