TUESDAY UPDATES: Boone County reports 104 new cases

UPDATE 5:25 P.M.: Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services is reporting 104 new COVID-19 cases. That brings the total up to 6,060.

According to the Boone County COVID-19 dashboard, the county reported 49 new active cases raising it to 389.

Scott Clardy, assistant director of the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services, said his initial look at the data showed that most of the positive tests were taken Sunday or Monday -- a normal turnaround time for test results.

"It doesn't appear that a delay in testing was a significant reason for the increase in cases we saw today," Clardy wrote in an email to ABC 17 News.

The 104 new cases reported Tuesday mark the largest daily jump since Sept. 5, when the department reported a record 221 new cases. New cases reached 100 on Oct. 14, but about 40% of those were delayed reports from a medical provider.

Just over 19% of all new cases Tuesday are in the 18-22 age group. The five-day positive case average rose from 43 to 59.

In Boone County, the hub reports 89 coronavirus hospitalizations. Boone County residents make up 18 of those 89 cases. The daily record is 91.

The ICU remained at 31 patients for the second day in a row. However, the number of patients on a ventilator rose by five to 20.

According to the Boone County COVID-19 Information Hub, there are still no issues with hospitals.

The Missouri Hospital Association's COVID-19 dashboard shows the positive rate for the county is 10.2-percent and reproductive rate is 1.16.

Positivity rates over 10% are considered indicative of uncontained spread of the virus.

The reproductive rate shows that anything above one is considered
unsustainable in flattening the transmission curve or spread of the virus.

Miller County reports three new COVID-19 related deaths; eighth death in a week

UPDATE 4:13 P.M.: Miller County Health Center is reporting three more deaths related to the novel coronavirus.

This is the fourth in two days and eighth death in the last week.

Currently, the county is reporting a 22 case increase bringing the total number of cases in the county to 972. Active cases for the county remains the same at 148.

Of the 22 deaths, 13 were from long term care facilities.

The county is reporting 19 recoveries bringing the total to 802.

The Missouri Hospital Association COVID-19 dashboard says Miller County's positive rate is 24.1-percent compared to the state's at 13.7-percent.

Positivity rates, or the percentage of total tests with a confirmed positive result, are key indicators of emerging hotspots and mitigation effectiveness. Positivity rates over 10% are considered indicative of the uncontained spread of the virus.

Moniteau County reports second death in two days

UPDATE 3:35 P.M.: Moniteau County Health Center is reporting their second death in as many days after a resident of the county died. The victim was in their 70's.

The health center reports this is county's 11th death due to COVID-19.

The health center reported yesterday someone in their 60's died from the virus.

According to the Missouri Hospital Association's Regional COVID-19 Dashboard, Moniteau County has a 30.5-percent positive rate, more than double the state of Missouri at 13.7-percent.

The dashboard also shows ventilator availability in the red at 21.94 per 100,000.

All hospital data is reported from the week of Oct. 11 to Oct. 17.

Moniteau County Health Center would also like to remind residents take precautions to prevent the spread of all respiratory viruses.
These actions include:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Wash your hands with soap and water regularly.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household
• cleaning spray or wipe.
• Stay home if you are sick.
• Remain 6 feet away from others and wear a facial covering when engaging in tasks
• away from home.

Dozens in Fatima School District quarantine because of COVID-19

UPDATE 3:22 P.M.: Dozens of students and several staff members in the Fatima School District have had to quarantine because of Coronavirus, according to the district's website.

An announcement on the school district website said 23 students in the high school/middle school and 37 students in the elementary school were in quarantine. Five staff members were also in quarantine.

The website included one student in the high school/middle school, three elementary students and four staff members had active COVID-19 cases.

A Facebook post from the school district on Sunday said a fifth-grade class had to quarantine after a student tested positive recently.

Missouri COVID-19 cases, deaths, testing, hospitalizations and positivity rate increase

According to data from the state health department, many COVID-19 factors it tracks have all increased over the last day.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services coronavirus dashboard said COVID-19 cases topped out at 172,717 Tuesday, up 1,695 since Monday. Virus-related deaths also went up, health officials reported 28 more over the last day.

Statewide testing went up nearly 18,000 since Monday, the health department said.

The dashboard said Missouri ranked eighth in the nation for new virus-related deaths over the last seven days and 11th for new cases over the same time period.

Coronavirus hospitalizations and the state's positivity rate also increased since Monday. Hospitalizations went up eight to 1,407 and the state-calculated positivity rate was two-tenths higher at 22.9%.