Two Mid-Missouri counties in ‘high’ community level for COVID-19

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two Mid-Missouri counties are in the "high" community level for COVID-19, while several others remain in the "medium" category, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The department released the data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday. The data cover the seven days that ended Wednesday.

Howard and Chariton counties are both seeing high COVID-19 community levels -- a measure of virus severity that includes new cases and hospitalizations.

Randolph, Boone, Cooper, Morgan, Camden and Montgomery counties are in the "medium" community level. Other area counties are in the "low" category.

The CDC outlines different recommendations for each category. Those recommendations include masks for people in "high" COVID-19 counties.

Statewide, hospitalizations are dropping after a summer peak in late July. The state has reported 8,787 cases over the last seven days -- a few thousand cases below the numbers reported in the last three weeks.

Omicron BA.5 is the state's dominant variant, responsible for about 75% of new cases at the end of July.