Pettis County added 38 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total number of cases to 4,962, according to the Pettis County Health Center.
This is an increase of 38 cases in the past week and 68 cases in the past two weeks, according to the Pettis County COVID-19 Task Force briefing issued Monday. For the week of Feb. 1-7, there were 66 positives and 556 negatives for a positivity rate of 10.61% and a rate per 100,000 of 155.88. For the week of Feb. 8-14, there were 48 positives and 438 negatives for a positivity rate of 9.88% and a rate per 100,000 of 113.37. For the week of Feb, 15-21, there were 32 positives and 396 negatives for a positivity rate of 7.48% and a rate per 100,000 of 75.58.
With cases continuing to decline, the Health Center will only issue updates on Mondays for the previous week.
According to the briefing, the quarantine for non-household contacts will change to 10 days rather than 14, effective March 1. Those leaving quarantine at 10 days need to continue to monitor for symptoms and get tested if symptoms develop. If the exposure is in the household, the quarantine period remains 14 days. The period of isolation is still 10 days for those testing positive.
Pettis County has now vaccinated 15.3% of the population with at least one dose, the briefing states. According to the state website, 6,465 Pettis County residents have received at least one dose and 4,073 have completed the two-dose series.
The next first dose clinic will be at the MO-Ag Theatre, hosted by Bothwell Regional Health Center, on March 9-10 for those in the Phase 1B Tier 2 group, which is people 65 and older and those with certain chronic health problems.
Gov. Mike Parson has announced Phase 1B Tier 3 will open March 15, which includes teachers, child care providers and designated essential businesses. The Health Center is working with schools, early childhood educators and businesses to set up on-site clinics for employees, which will depend on vaccine availability and staffing.
“Even though vaccine is becoming available we still need to wear masks, practice social distancing, wash our hands,” the Health Center stated in the briefing. “Vaccine protects the person immunized and the science has not completely determined if an immunized person can spread the virus. We need to reach at least 75% immunization rate to be able to relax these precautions.”
Beginning March 1, Bothwell will expand the number of people allowed to visit patients and increase visiting hours. According to the briefing, visits will now be open to two visitors at a time per patient. Expanded visiting hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and visitors are asked to enter the hospital through the main entrance.
No visitors will be allowed for patients who are COVID-19 positive or awaiting test results.
Bothwell is also allowing one visitor at a time per patient in the Emergency Department. Due to available lobby space and to maintain proper social distancing, additional visitors to the ED will be asked to remain in their cars.
The Bothwell Cafeteria remains closed to visitors.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported a seven-day total of 2,508 confirmed cases for an average of 358 per day. There were a total of 16 deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Missouri during the last seven days, representing an average of 2 deaths per day. There were a total of 211,157 vaccinations, representing an average of 30,165 per day.
