FRIDAY UPDATES: Nearly half of all ICU patients need a ventilator in Boone County
UPDATE 5:45 P.M.: Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services is reporting 40 new cases Friday.
The health department is reporting the total number of cases has risen to 5,522.
The number of active cases went down by 12 to 417 in Boone County.
Recoveries went up by 52 to 5,091 total.
The county is reporting 40-percent of new cases is from the age group of 18-22.
According to the health order extension, there are 80 COVID-19 inpatients in Boone County hospitals, which is the highest number of inpatients during the pandemic.
17 of those patients are Boone County residents, up one from Thursday.
The number of ICU patients went down by 2 to 25
Nearly half of the ICU patients need a ventilator.
According to the Boone County, MO COVID-19 Information Hub there are still no issues with hospitals.
Multiple Mid-Missouri counties reporting COVID-19 related deaths
UPDATE 5:17 P.M.: Multiple counties are reporting five death related to COVID-19 according to county health departments.
Pettis County is reporting two deaths. The county won't release anymore information on the deaths.
Pettis County Health Center is reporting an 83 total case jump to 1,500 total.
The county health center is also reporting 78 new active case which is one of the largest jumps in active cases in the county.
The county is also reporting three recoveries bringing the total to 1,096.
In Audrain County, the health department is reporting one new death, bringing the total to 8.
The health department added 16 new cases to the county's total of 841. The number of active cases dropped to 130, four fewer than Thursday.
There are only 12 active cases in the county according to the health department.
The Callaway County Health Department is also reporting just one new COVID-19 related death. The total for the county raises to 6.
According to their latest numbers, there are 15 new active cases to 237 and 23 total new cases to 966 total cases.
Recoveries also went up seven to 723 total.
The Moniteau County Health Center is reporting the seventh death of a Moniteau County resident due to COVID-19. The resident was in their 70’s.
Montgomery County is reporting a potential novel coronavirus exposure event at Bratchers Market on Oct. 12-15 between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Officials ask if you were at the store to monitor your vitals and symptoms.
Boone County health director extends COVID-19 order
UPDATE 3:40 P.M.: The director of the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services has extended a COVID-19 health order through Nov. 3.
The health department announced the extension in a news release Friday afternoon. The extension keeps the current order, which had been set to expire Tuesday, in place an additional two weeks.
The department says in the release that new COVID-19 cases have remained "relatively stable" while the most recent orders have been in place. The 14-day rolling average of new daily cases increased from 40 to 42 during that time, the department says.
However, hospitalizations are going up, with a record 80 COVID-19 patients in Boone County hospitals on Friday, according to the release. Most of those patients come from other counties that do not have health orders, the department says.
"The data continues to support keeping the measures that are currently in place," Browning said in the release. "Given the increasing number of hospitalizations and a return to in-seat classes for CPS elementary schools, it is necessary to extend the current Order to ensure local resources can meet the demand that will likely occur in the coming weeks."
Columbia Public Schools elementary students are set to return to classrooms Monday, which health officials have said could lead to an increase in cases.
The order requires people in Columbia to wear masks when they can't maintain social distance, limits the size of public gatherings, requires bars and restaurants that serve alcohol to close seating areas at 10:30 p.m. and requires patrons at those businesses to wear masks when they are not seated.
Several businesses have been cited for violating the health order's stipulations.
William Woods University makes changes to spring semester
UPDATE 3:11 P.M.: William Woods University said Friday morning students will have an extended winter break and no spring break for the upcoming semester.
In a release from university spokesman John Fougere, the changes were made because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"The altered schedule will minimize the amount of travel away from campus during the course of the semester, which together with the university’s comprehensive campus health and safety plan, will continue to help minimize any potential spread of the virus," the release said.
The spokesman said the fall semester ends after the first week of December and students return Jan. 19. The plan calls for the spring semester to end the last week of April with commencement tentatively planned for May 1.
Fougere said the university is encouraging students, faculty and staff to quarantine before coming back to campus. The university had the same policy in place for the fall semester.
The university's mask and social distancing guidelines will still be in place for the next semester.
Fougere said spring sports will return next year. All fall sports were canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic.
As of Friday, William Woods had one active case of COVID-19. Nine staff members and 14 students have recovered from coronavirus since August.
Jefferson City School District reports nine new COVID-19 cases
UPDATE 2:50 P.M.: The Jefferson City School District has reported nine more COVID-19 cases in students and staff.
The district posted on its website that it learned of four student cases -- three at Capital City High School and one at Jefferson City High School -- and five staff cases on Thursday. Three staff members at Capital City and one each at Cedar Hill and East elementary schools tested positive.
The district reported 19 close student contacts at Capital City and one close student contact at East.
JC Schools have reported 94 student and 67 staff cases since the start of school. Another 221 students and 34 staff members have been exposed to the novel coronavirus, the district reported.
Students at two middle schools -- Lewis and Clark and Thomas Jefferson -- have been learning from home starting this week because of the number of staff members in quarantine. The district said that will continue through at least Oct. 26.
Cole County is experiencing high levels of new COVID-19 cases with more than 500 reported this month. The Cole County Health Department reported 261 active cases Thursday.
COVID-19 has contributed to 15 deaths in Cole County.
The county and Jefferson City are in the "red zone" for high rates of new coronavirus infections in the latest White House COVID-19 report.
New Bloomfield moving middle, high school students online
UPDATE 2:15 P.M.: New Bloomfield R-III officials say middle and high school students are moving to online learning.
The district confirmed to ABC 17 New Bloomfield is moving to phase yellow.
According to the district's reopening plan, elementary students are still allowed to attend school in-person but others will learn virtually.
Elementary school students will spread out across district buildings to allow for more social distancing.
New Bloomfield coronavirus data said district had six active COVID-19 cases as of Friday. It included 33 have recovered.
Missouri reports 2,000 new COVID-19 cases
The state health department reported about 2,000 new COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours on Friday.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services coronavirus dashboard said 152,571 cases have been confirmed in the state since the pandemic started. It's an increase of 2,017 from Thursday's total of 150,554.
Missouri ranked seventh in the US for new cases over the last seven days. according to the department. The state was eighth in the country a day before.
The state also added 17 new virus-related deaths. Reports said 2,459 have died from COVID-19 in Misosuri since the pandemic started, up from 2,442 on Thursday.
Missouri ranked fourth in the country for new coronavirus deaths over the last seven days.
The state's seven-day positivity rate increased .03% on Friday going up to 18.3%, the highest its been since March.
Coronavirus testing reached 2.24 million after an increase of more than 25,000 over the last 24 hours. Missouri also ranked seventh in the US for tests over the last seven days, the dashboard said.
As of Friday morning, the health department had not updated the state's hospitalization reports. On Thursday, Missouri set a new record for people hospitalized because of the virus with 1,443 across the state.
