WEDNESDAY UPDATES: Callaway County reports fourth death attributed to COVID-19
UPDATE 5:03 P.M.: Callaway County Health Department is reporting the fourth death attributed to COVID-19 in the county.
The county also updated its daily numbers. The county's total active cases went up by 20 to 770.
The county reported 18 new active cases bringing the total to 124.
Recoveries also went up by one, bring the total to 642 for the county.
Boone County reports most new daily COVID-19 cases in nearly a month
UPDATE 4:35 P.M.: The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services on Wednesday reported its highest number of new COVID-19 cases since last month.
Boone County added another 72 cases to its total Wednesday. That makes 5,039 cases since the pandemic began. The daily total was the largest since 90 cases were reported Sept. 12.
Before Wednesday, the county had seen four straight days with fewer than 50 new cases.
The county has seen a sustained lowering in new cases that has the Columbia Board of Education considering a return to the classroom. Columbia Public Schools is the only district in the county without in-person classes. The board will vote on a plan Monday and students could start returning the next week.
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Boone County dropped to 59 on Wednesday from a record 71 last week, according to the health department's online dashboard. Of those patients, 22 are in intensive care and 10 are on ventilators.
The number of active cases in Boone County grew by 37 to reach 316 on Wednesday. Another 1,245 people were in quarantine because of exposure to the virus.
Miller County reports ninth COVID-19 death
UPDATE 4:05 P.M.: Miller County reported its ninth death related to COVID-19 on Wednesday.
The county health department announced the death in a social media post Wednesday morning. The department did not release any information about the person who died.
The health department encouraged county residents to wear masks when they can't maintain social distance.
"We wear masks to protect our friends, family, and neighbors, especially those that are at a greater risk of complications from the virus," the Miller County Health Center said in the post.
Miller County reported 625 total cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, with 68 of those active. Ten county residents are hospitalized with COVID-19, according to the health center's online dashboard.
State receives first round of rapid tests
UPDATE 2:38 P.M.: Missouri received its first round of Abbott rapid COVID-19 tests recently, a spokeswoman for the state's health department said.
Lisa Cox with the Missouri Department Health and Senior Services said the Show-Me state received 120,000 tests. Gov. Mike Parson said Missouri is expected to receive 1.8 million by year's end.
Cox added state officials continue to work on who will receive the tests and when they will be administered.
"We are completing a plan to ensure these tests are best used within our overall Missouri testing strategy and in line with federal guidance," Cox said.
President Donald Trump made 150 million of the tests available to states in order to get students back in the classroom.
Missouri COVID-19 hospitalizations reach new high
The number of patients in Missouri's hospitals has hit its highest level of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The seven-day average of patients with COVID-19 in the state's hospitals reached 1,176 on Tuesday. Hospitalizations have been on the upswing since early September as the state has stayed among the top in the nation for new COVID-19 cases.
Hospitalizations in the state's central region have trended up since late September and hit a seven-day average of 108 on Monday and again Tuesday -- the highest of the pandemic. Meanwhile, the number of available intensive care beds has reached its lowest level of the pandemic in central Missouri.
Boone County's hospitals were treating 66 patients with COVID-19 on Tuesday, with 27 of those in intensive care and 10 on ventilators, according to the county health department's online COVID-19 hub.
The state reported 1,068 new cases Wednesday morning for a total of 135,651 since the pandemic began. The state reported 36 new deaths for a total of 2,236.
Missouri came in at eighth among the states in total cases for the week that ended Sunday, according to the state's online dashboard. The state was No. 16 in total deaths. Deaths and total cases are trending downward, according to the dashboard.
Missouri had the 11th highest case rate per 100,000 people for the week that ended Friday, according to the latest White House report obtained by ABC News. However, Missouri remained in the White House's "red zone" for a case rate of 101 per 100,000 people or higher.
Eleven Mid-Missouri counties and the Jefferson City metro area were also in the red zone.
The state's seven-day positivity rate dropped to 13.7% in the state's latest dashboard update. Health experts say 10% indicates widespread transmission of the novel coronavirus.
Several Mid-Missouri counties had rates higher than 10%, according to the state -- Osage, Miller, Morgan and Cooper counties.
