COVID UPDATE FROM THE MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

This COVID information update is provided by the Missouri Department of Social Services and distributed through AMNP's partnership to disseminate information from state agencies. Please review at your earliest convenience.

Through the efforts of the Missouri Fusion Cell and the White House COVID-19 Task Force, specific data elements and thresholds have been developed to inform local communities of COVID-19 infections in their counties.  Utilizing the number of cases, deaths, and testing data counties are now being categorized as “red”, “yellow”, or “green” for COVID-19 severity, trajectory, and response.  The attached table details the specific data elements and their thresholds used to determine the state/county category.  Please note, some counties do have very small population levels so the data equate to under 10 cases in county over a 7 day period.

Based on this methodology, for the week of 9/14/2020 Missouri:

• Missouri’s severity remains in the “red” zone, including for new cases.  This means Missouri is reporting more than 100 new cases per 100,000 population over the last seven days and our statewide positivity rate is above 10%.
• Missouri ranks 5th worst in the nation for new cases per 100,000 population with a rate of 152 cases per 100,000.
• Missouri’s trajectory is in the “yellow” zone.  This means our rate of new cases has decreased slightly but our positivity rate continues to increase.
• Missouri’s response is in the “yellow” zone.  This means many places in Missouri need more testing.

 Each county in Missouri is also categorized using this same methodology.  For the week of 9/14/2020:

• Missouri has two counties—Maries and Newton—that are “red, red, red” for severity, trajectory, and response.
• Missouri has 28 counties that are “red, red, yellow” for severity, trajectory, and response.

Red, Red, Yellow Counties
Worth	Caldwell	Knox	Pike	Johnson	Moniteau	Cole
St. Charles	Gasconade	Franklin	Laclede	Barton	Christian	Taney
Webster	Douglas	Wright	Texas	Pulaski	Dent	Shannon
Ripley	Bollinger	Wayne	Butler	Stoddard	Mississippi	Pemiscot

High transmission of COVID-19 can be observed in every region in the state with 76 jurisdictions falling in the “red zone” for new cases (meaning they have more than 100 new cases per 100,000 population over the last seven days).  The Central, Southeast, and Southwest regions saw several new “red” zone jurisdictions this week.

 

Red Zone Counties for New Cases in the past 7 days—Reporting more than 100 new cases per 100,000 population
Atchison	Nodaway	Worth	Harrison	Mercer	Grundy	Daviess	Caldwell	Andrew
Buchannan	DeKalb	Clay	Knox	Marion	Pike	St. Charles	Jackson	Lafayette
Carroll	Saline	Johnson	Pettis	Howard	Randolph	Boone	Callaway	Cole
Moniteau	Cooper	Morgan	Miller	Maries	Gasconade	Phelps	Pulaski	Camden
Laclede	Dallas	Polk	Greene	Webster	Wright	Texas	Dent	Shannon
Oregon	Howell	Douglas	Ozark	Taney	Christian	Lawrence	Newton	Jasper
Joplin	Barton	Vernon	Ripley	Butler	Dunklin	Pemiscot	New Madrid	Mississippi
Scott	Stoddard	Wayne	Bollinger	Madison	Cape Girardeau	Perry	Ste. Genevieve	St. Francois
Washington	Jefferson	Franklin

Given the severity of COVID-19 throughout Missouri, all Missourians and all businesses should practice the following:

• Wear a mask if you will be in public.
• CDC recommends wearing a mask and maintaining six feet of distance from others.
• Practice social distancing at home.
• Limit trips to stores and avoid large gatherings, even those with family that do not live in your home. 
• Practice social distancing at work.
• Remain six feet away from individuals as much as possible.  Do not congregate in groups for meetings, lunches, breaks, or after work.
• Practice good hand hygiene frequently.
• Wash hands frequently or use hand sanitizer when you cannot wash your hands.
• Increase efforts to clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces.
• Wipe down door handles, phones, remotes, etc. with regular household cleaner.
• Know the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and be alert for symptoms in yourself, family and friends.
• Symptoms may include fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste/smell, chills, headache, fatigue, etc.
• If you are someone in your family are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, you should stay home and contact a healthcare provider regarding testing or medical care.