TUESDAY UPDATES: Pettis County reports three COVID-19 related deaths

Pettis County Health Center is reporting three new COVID-19 related deaths.

According to their latest update, that county has a reported 37 deaths since March.

The health center is reporting 96 new cases, bringing the total since the pandemics beginning to 3,658 cases.

The county has a reported 903 active cases. This is the second most active cases in mid-Missouri, behind only Boone County's 917 active cases.

The county has a reported 2,718 recoveries.

Currently, there are 22 residents hospitalized due to the virus, a drop from 30 Monday.

COVID-19 related deaths reported in Saline and Chariton County

Chariton County Health Center and Saline County Health Department are each reporting one COVID-19 related death in their respective county.

According to the Saline County Health Department, a 68-year-old woman died from the coronavirus. According to the county's dashboard, she is the 34 COVID-19 related death since March.

The county currently has 129 active cases and 1,887 total cases since March.

There have been 1,724 reported recoveries in Saline County.

In Chariton County, the health center is reporting a COVID-19 related death. That is the eighth death in the county since Nov. 13.

The county is reporting 117 active cases. The health center has a reported 515 total COVID-19 cases since March.

There are 390 recoveries being reported by the health center.

Downtown Columbia business to close due to coronavirus

Wilson's Fitness Centers downtown location will close down due to coronavirus complications.

According to Marketing Dirctor Ashten Robinson, Wilson's In The District will be closing its doors on December 15th.

Robinson told ABC 17 News that Wilsons will be closing "due to unforeseen COVID-19 circumstances, disruptions to normal downtown Columbia business and college students vacating Columbia."

All other Wilson's locations will remain open.

Boone County reports the lowest number of new cases since Nov. 30; active cases drop

Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services is reporting 78 new active cases. That brings the total number of cases to 11,287.

The dashboard is currently reporting 917 active cases, a drop of 18 from Monday.

The county has reported the total number of cases removed from isolation is 10,338, an increase of 96 recoveries.

Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services dashboard has reported the latest five-day average as 115, a decrease of 30 from Monday.

The dashboard is reporting the positivity rate currently sits at 36.5%.

The health department is reporting the total hospitalizations in Boone County at 143 cases, a decrease of 6 from Monday.

The number of Boone County residents hospitalized rises by 7 to 27 .

The dashboard is reporting 34 COVID-19 patients in the ICU, a drop of 10 from Monday.

The department reports 19 patients on ventilators.

The hospital status is still currently in the 'yellow' zone.

Audrain County reports 5 new COVID-19 related deaths

Audrain County Health Department is reporting five more COVID-19 related deaths. That brings a total of 24 deaths overall in the county.

According to the county's update, there are 168 active cases in the county and 140 of them are in Mexico. Vandalia is also reporting 13 of those cases.

There are 1,132 total coronavirus cases since March in Audrain County, a 15 case increase from Monday.

The county's dashboard is reporting a 6.1% positivity rate in the county.

Currently there are seven county residents in the hospital due to the coronavirus.

The county has reported 940 recoveries.

COU passenger load down nearly 70% from last November

Columbia Regional Airport saw another month with fewer passengers over November.

Passenger load data posted on the airport's website said there were 7,613 total passengers for the month of November. The data said the passenger load was nearly 70% lower from 2019.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic started in March, the year-to-year passenger load fallen every month.

The airport had not posted any passenger data for December.

Airport manager Mike Parks said last month passengers have been following coronavirus precautions.

Osage County reports 5 new coronavirus deaths, hundreds of new cases

Several new COVID-19 deaths and hundreds of new positive cases were reported in Osage County on Tuesday.

A social media post from the county's emergency management agency said 1,157 coronavirus positive cases have been reported since the pandemic started and virus-related deaths were up to seven.

The post included the county has 90 active cases and that 1,060 have recovered.

Cases have nearly doubled and deaths have increased higher since the county last updated the numbers on Nov. 3. At that time, total positive cases were at 600 and health officials had reported two deaths.

Cole County R-V moves to virtual learning for one week

A letter sent out to Cole County R-V parents Tuesday morning said the school district is moving to virtual learning for one week.

District officials made the call because of a staffing shortage. Students are expected to return to the classroom on Dec. 15.

Students who are enrolled in online classes were sent home Monday with books and class materials. Those who are not enrolled in the online system will have to pick up class work on Wednesday, the letter said.

Two teachers tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, according to the district's website. The school dashboard said there were no covid positive cases among students.

Cole County R-V moved to virtual learning in mid-November

Missouri reports 161 new COVID-19 deaths, positivity rate lowest since beginning of November

Missouri state health officials reported 161 new COVID-19 deaths and the lowest seven-day coronavirus positivity rate in more than a month on Tuesday.

The Missouri Department of Health Senior Services reported 4,355 state residents have died from the coronavirus since the pandemic started.

The spokeswoman for the health department said in an email 137 of the deaths came from a weekly check of state death certificates. She included most of the people died in November.

According to the coronavirus dashboard, the positivity rate fell 0.4% to 19.4% Tuesday morning. It's the lowest rate since Nov. 5 - which was 19.3%.

The positivity rate climbed to record highs throughout November and it topped out at a pandemic high of 25.6% on Nov. 11.

The positivity rate has fallen steadily over recent weeks with a slight bump around Thanksgiving.

According to the CDC, a seven-day rate higher than 10% indicates widespread of COVID-19. Missouri's rate has been over the threshold since Oct. 13, department data said.

Health officials reported 3,250 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours.

State hospital officials said 2,628 people were hospitalized because of COVID-19 on Saturday, the last day data was available. The dashboard included the remaining hospital bed capacity was 21%.

On Saturday, 623 had been admitted into the ICU - 17% of ICU bed space was still available.