FRIDAY UPDATES: Pettis and Cole County report 100+ new cases

UPDATE 6:00 P.M.: Both Pettis and Cole County are reporting new COVID-19 cases above 100.

In Pettis County, the health department is reproting 102 new cases. That brings the total number of cases from 2,166 to 2,268.

The number of active cases in the county is 735.

The county has a reported 1,505 people that have recovered from the virus.

In Cole County, the health department is reporting 125 new cases. That brings today's overall total to 3,667 cases since March.

This is the third day in a role of triple digit case increase.

The number of active cases is 584.

The total number of patients reported to have recovered from the virus went up 75 to 2,905.

CPS case rate jumps to 70.6; Columbia Police reducing in-person responses to calls

UPDATE 5:20 P.M.: According to the Columbia Public School dashboard, the district is reporting a 14-day rate of 70.6.

This is the third day in a row above 50.

The 50 case level is just one of several pieces of information the district uses to figure out whether students are all virtual or hybrid learning according to CPS Community Relations Director Michelle Baumstark.

The district is reporting two more staff testing positive today and 13 were quarantined due to the pandemic.

CPS dashboard is reporting 29 positive student cases and 506 students being forced to quarantine.

Columbia police will be reducing in-person responses to calls beginning Saturday.

Columbia Police says the suspension of certain calls will primarily affect traffic functions, in-person contact reports and accessibility to the police station.

"For the safety of our officers, all calls for service are reviewed by a supervisor who will advise whether or not to respond in-person," Chief Geoff Jones said. "Calls for service can be sorted into two categories: life-threatening and non-life-threatening."

Examples of life-threatening incidents include:

• Domestic violence,
• Missing persons,
• Active assaults (robbery, stabbing, fights),
• Reports of sexual assault, and
• Child abuse and neglect.

Examples of non-life-threatening incidents include:

• Peace disturbances,
• Past theft of motor vehicles,
• Car accidents without injuries,
• Vandalism/found property, and
• Traffic complaints.

Officers will be required to wear protective gear and take other precautions when responding to calls. "This is absolutely necessary for the safety of officers and the public," Jones said.

Boone County reports 21.3% positive coronavirus rate

UPDATE 4:55 P.M.: Boone County reported its highest seven-day rate of positive COVID-19 cases Friday, the third straight day of triple-digit new cases.

The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services reported 167 COVID-19 cases Friday. This is the third day in a row of COVID-19 cases over 150 as the county and the state continue to see a surge in new cases. In the last three days there have been 570 total cases.

Boone County is reporting a positive rate at 21.3% from Oct. 30 through Thursday. That is a 3.5% increase from the previously reported week and the highest since early May.

The number of active cases went increased by 63 to 875. Another 1,703 people are in quarantine because of coronavirus exposure.

The county has gone up to 134 cases for the five-day average. This is the second-highest five day average after Sept. 4's average of 143.4.

The department is also reporting a record 123 hospitalizations. Currently there are 36 COVID-19 patients in the ICU.

According to the numbers posted on the department's COVID-19 dashboard, 22 of the 123 patients are from Boone County.

The department reports 20 patients on ventilators.

MU Health is reporting 53 active inpatient cases. At Boone Hospital, the hospital is reporting 35 inpatients with COVID-19.

State of Missouri continues hosting free COVID-19 community testing

UPDATE 4:03 P.M.: The State of Missouri is continuing to host community COVID-19 testing events across the state.

Missourians will need to register for these events currently scheduled at health.mo.gov/communitytest and continue to check back for future opportunities to be tested at an event nearby.

Missouri residency is the only requirement; individuals do not have to live in the county in which they are tested, and they do not have to be experiencing symptoms. Any Missouri residents who wish to be tested with a self-administered nasal swab to determine if they have an active COVID-19 infection can do so at the specified sites in each region at no cost to the individual.

Registration is now open for upcoming community testing events in Callaway, Cole, Miller, Montgomery, Pettis and Randolph.

The community-based testing is operated by the Department of Health and Senior Services and Missouri National Guard in coordination with the hosting by local public health agencies.

CPS reports two more schools move to virtual learning

UPDATE 3:10 P.M.: CPS is reporting two more schools will move to virtual learning beginning Monday.

This is the seventh school that will return to virtual learning since elementary students returned to in-seat classes.

Officials say that due to staffing issues and student illness, Locust Street Expressive Arts Elementary School and Cedar Ridge Elementary School will transition from in-person learning to virtual learning beginning Monday.

Students from Locust Street Expressive Arts Elementary School will be able to return to in-person learning on November 17.

Cedar Ridge Elementary School will be able to return in-person learning on next Thursday.

CPS officials say Cedar Ridge and Locust Street Expressive Arts elementary schools are currently sharing the Cedar Ridge school building while construction of a building addition at Locust Street is completed.

Miller, Callaway counties report new COVID-19 deaths

UPDATE 2:33 P.M.: County health officials in Miller and Callaway counties reported new COVID-19 deaths on Friday.

In a social media post, the Miller County Health Center said 28 have now died because of coronavirus.

The health center said no additional information would be released about the individual. Eighteen of the deaths were linked to residents at nursing homes.

As of Friday, health officials said 1,171 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Miller County and that 164 were active.

It's the fourth virus-related reported in the county this week.

Miller has reported as many COVID-19 deaths as Pettis County. Camden County has reported the most in Mid-Missouri with 37.

The Callaway County Health Department also reported a new COVID-19 death on its dashboard.

Updates posted on the health department's website said nine people have now died because of COVID-19.

The health department reported the county's eighth death on Oct. 20.

As of Friday, the dashboard said there were 495 active coronavirus cases in Callaway County and that 1,572 have been reported since the pandemic started.

Montgomery County Middle School going online because of COVID-19 quarantine

UPDATE 12:45 P.M.: The Montgomery County R-II School District has sent its middle school students home because of the number of staff exposed to coronavirus.

The district superintendent sent a letter home with middle school students Thursday saying that school would go all-online starting Friday. The move was prompted by a middle school staff member testing positive for COVID-19, exposing other staff members to the virus.

The district does not have enough substitutes to keep in-person classes going, according to the letter. Extracurricular activities will also be suspended. The district hopes to reopen the school by Nov. 13.

Montgomery County reported 349 total cases of COVID-19 with 145 active as of Thursday. The number of active cases jumped by 20 between Tuesday and Thursday, according to posts on the county health department Facebook page.

Ten county residents with COVID-19 have died, including one death reported Thursday.

The health department also adjusted its hours last month to give staff more time for contact tracing amid the rising number of cases.

Cole County health officials monitoring case clusters

UPDATE 9:40 A.M.: Cole County health officials said Friday morning they are monitoring COVID-19 case clusters reported around the county.

The county reported a record 129 new cases on Thursday.

The release from the Cole County Health Department said positive cases have been reported recently at office buildings, correctional facilities, nursing homes and schools.

The release included positive cases were also attributed to social gatherings.

Department leaders say residents planning to host such gatherings should reconsider.

"These activities are a high-risk activity for transmission of the virus. Please adhere to physical distancing requirements and limit contact with others outside of your household especially in social settings," the release said.

As of Thursday, 163 COVID-19 cases have been reported at county nursing homes. Department data said 11 of those residents have died from the virus.

Missouri prison data said 381 coronavirus cases have been reported at Cole County prisons.

JC Schools also reported new COVID-19 cases on Thursday.

Missouri COVID-19 cases top 200,000 with record-breaking case increase

Missouri total COVID-19 cases topped out at 200,507 on Friday morning.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said the state broke a day-old case record adding 3,931 new cases. Friday's highest-ever case increase since the pandemic started broke the previous record by almost 400.

The department's COVID-19 dashboard said 25 more coronavirus deaths were reported since Thursday.

Missouri's seven-day positivity rate broke another record on Friday. The department-calculated rate was up to 31.7%, an increase of 1.7% over the last day.

The CDC seven-day rate also set records at 16%, 0.8% higher than Thursday's record.

Coronavirus hospitalizations on Friday were the highest reported during the pandemic at 1,834, 60 more than Thursday's record.

The health department said the seven-day hospitalization average was at 1,686. Data included 44% of the state's hospital bed capacity was still available.

According to the dashboard, 517 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds and 226 others were put on ventilators.