FRIDAY UPDATES: Columbia Public Schools Amend Contact Tracing and Exposure Protocols Starting Monday

On Monday, Columbia Public Schools will change how they track people who come into contact with COVID-19 due to a drop in coronavirus cases.

Officials say students who have been exposed and remain asymptomatic will no longer need to wear masks or observe social distancing during lunch. The district will continue to notify families if their student has been exposed. Families should continue to monitor their exposed student for symptoms and follow the screening guidelines outlined in the plan.

People who are symptomatic or positive for COVID will need to continue to follow protocols regarding returning to school after illness.

Those who wish to wear a mask can continue to do so and masks will continue to be available for anyone who needs them.

Boone County reports first double-digit increase in coronavirus since Saturday

The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services reports that 11 new cases of coronavirus were added to the information center on Friday. The county is now delaying case notification by two days.

The dashboard shows 26 COVID-19 patients at Boone County hospitals. Of the 26 patients, two are in intensive care and one is on a ventilator.

The county has reported 42,713 since the start of the pandemic. The county has reported 13,834 cases since the start of 2022.

Boone County ranks ninth in the state with the most coronavirus cases by total volume over the past week and is 58th when sorted by cases per 100,000. Cases are down 55 .7% when comparing last week to the previous week. The county has a 3.2% test positivity rate, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS).

The Missouri Coronavirus Vaccine Dashboard reports that 118,640 residents have received their first dose in Boone County and 106,072 Boone County residents have completed their vaccine doses.

Boone County has the third highest percentage of Missouri County residents who have received at least one dose of the vaccine at 65.7%. The largest county in the state is St. Louis County with 70.6%.

Boone County is third in the state with 58.8% of residents completing their coronavirus vaccine doses. St. Louis County is the top county in the state with 62.7% of residents completing vaccination doses. The city of Joplin has 63.2% of the population fully vaccinated.

Cole County has the second highest first vaccination rate in central Missouri at 55.5%. Callaway County is third at 51.7%.

Columbia Public Schools reports active and quarantined coronavirus cases daily on its website.

The district reported a 14-day rate of 8.8 last Wednesday.

CPS reports that 17 district facilities (nine elementary, four middle, one high school, and three other district-wide facilities) currently have staff absent due to COVID-19.

The district is reporting 15 coronavirus cases among district personnel. The staff breakdown shows eight staff at an elementary school, four staff at middle schools, one staff at a high school, and two staff at district-wide facilities who have tested positive for COVID. -19. Three primary school staff are to be quarantined due to close contact.

The district reports that 11 district facilities currently have students absent due to the coronavirus. The district reports that seven of the elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school and one districtwide facility are affected.

The district reports that three elementary school students have tested positive for the coronavirus.

There are 12 students who must be quarantined due to the coronavirus. The district reports that three elementary students are currently in quarantine, seven middle school students, one high school student and one student at a district-wide facility.

Cole County reports 15th straight day of single-digit coronavirus cases

On Friday, the Cole County Health Department reported a new case of the coronavirus.

According to the dashboard update, there are 16,986 residential cases and 330 cases of residents of long-term care facilities. This represents 17,316 total cases in the county since March 2020.

Cole County reported 17 cases in March and 77% of them are considered breakthrough cases. A breakthrough case occurs when a fully vaccinated person later contracts the disease for which he was vaccinated.

Cole County has reported 190 coronavirus deaths since the pandemic began.

Cole County ranks 65th in the state for counties with the most coronavirus cases per 100,000 over the past week. Cases are down 60% when comparing last week to the previous week. The county reported a 3% test positivity rate, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The Missouri Coronavirus Vaccine Dashboard reports that approximately 55.5% of the county has started their first dose of vaccine and 51.6% of the county’s population has been fully vaccinated.

The Jefferson City School District reported no new cases of coronavirus in any student or staff member on Thursday.

The district reports three active cases in a student.

State of Missouri reports fewer than 500 new coronavirus cases

The state of Missouri reported 467 new probable cases of coronavirus as of Friday.

The state health department is reporting a seven-day average of 258 coronavirus cases (1,805 confirmed cases from the previous reporting week). The daily average is for the last seven days and does not take into account the last three days.

The dashboard reported 268 new coronavirus cases through PCR testing and another 199 probable cases identified through antigen testing as of Thursday, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ coronavirus dashboard. . Missouri has now reported 1,127,503 confirmed pandemic cases and more than 275,765 probable cases.

The state added six deaths for 15,634 total and two new probable deaths were added for 3,721.

Missouri’s new cases are down 32.5% over the past week, the state reports, as recent cases decline nationwide.

The positive test rate is 3.7% for the past week. Higher positivity suggests higher transmission and that there are likely more people with coronavirus in the community who have not yet been tested.

Osage (9), Callaway (23), Randolph (29), Audrain (31), and Saline (32) counties are all in Missouri’s top 40 counties in cases per capita over the past week, according to state statistics.

The state reports that 8.05% (0.01 change for Friday) of vaccinated Missourians have developed COVID-19 infections. The state reports 278,162 breakthrough cases out of 3,457,141 fully vaccinated people. The state has reported 1,689 breakthrough deaths.

Experts continue to tout vaccination as the best tool to fight the wave of new cases.

The state reported Wednesday that 56.3% of Missouri residents are fully immunized.

Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 are also trending down, with the state reporting 19% of total hospitalization capacity and 23% of critical care capacity remaining. Those numbers are 25% and 35% in central Missouri, respectively. The state reports 953 patient hospitalizations. There are currently 188 patients in Missouri ICUs. Hospital status for all of Missouri is three days behind schedule, last reported as of Tuesday.

Capital Region Medical Center lifts COVID visitation restrictions

The Capital Region Medical Center is beginning to reorient hospital visitation policies towards pre-pandemic operations as it relates to its facilities.

Officials say the entrance to outpatient services has reopened, opening hours have been extended and gate screening will be done by thermally scanned kiosks.

CRMC clinics, outpatient services including therapy and all inpatient areas will allow up to two visitors during visiting hours.

Patients, staff and visitors will continue to wear masks in patient care areas.