At 10:40 Sunday morning, Health Department Administrator Susan Long received notification of the first positive case of COVID-19 in Osage County. The patient is a woman in her 60s who resides in Osage County with another household member.

Long explained this is a travel-related case, and the individual quarantined herself upon return from a trip outside of Missouri as did the household member. They have remained in quarantine except for the drive-through testing late last week.

Since this notification, Long completed the case and contact investigation and spoke with any contacts determined to have been at risk. As of Tuesday, a second individual related to the first case also tested positive for the coronavirus.

As the two individuals have been isolated, Long said follow-up contact investigation has been quickly completed.

“An additional order of isolation was issued along with an order of quarantine for close contacts who might be at risk,” said Long, noting that everyone is being very cooperative in this matter.

Long alerted the people in the county who needed to be notified such as the commissioners, the 911/Emergency Operations Center, first responders that would be responding to an emergency at the address and the Osage County Health Department staff. Personal health information was not shared with anyone.

“This means that if I didn’t call you Sunday, you weren’t identified as a contact,” said Long. “Please do not call the Health Department to request information on the person or where they live. You will not be given any information on this matter.”

Long told the U.D. this week that it had been just a matter of time before a positive case would be reported in Osage County.

“We would love to be in a situation where we don’t have any positives at all, but that’s just not realistic due to the nature of the virus,” she said. “It’s also not realistic to believe this will be the only positive case, but we are all doing everything we can to provide accurate, consistent information, and our recommendations are still in place.”

Two pending cases of which Long was aware have been reported as negative.

While some cities and counties in Missouri have initiated a lockdown, there as yet has been no statewide isolation order, but Long’s order to restrict gatherings to less than 10 people has been extended until May 1 following the president’s recommendation.

Commissioners voted unanimously to extend the order after consultation with Long Tuesday, as the original order was set to expire April 1.

“It’s still very important that people avoid large gatherings as we fight to contain the spread of the virus,” Long said. “It’s not just about contracting the virus. It’s about the potential for spreading it to those who are vulnerable in our community.”

As the weather becomes more temperate, Long said she recognizes people will want to be outside, and that’s fine, as long as it’s limited.

“We’re not suggesting people have to stay locked inside their houses,” she said. “Get outside, enjoy the weather, but be smart about it. A family grilling outside is great, but don’t have a backyard barbecue with a lot of people.”

Young people are having a difficult time with the restrictions, Long noted. “I know it’s really tough for them, but if everyone gets on board and limits exposure, we’ll get through this a lot faster.”

Many people work in essential fields, and in some cases, are required to commute to other counties, including Cole, which has a lockdown order in place.

“We also have people traveling through from all over the place to Osage County, or just coming through, so following hand washing and sanitization guidelines remains very important,” Long said.

If you are considered essential at your place of work, Long suggested having your employer write a note to that effect in the event law enforcement asks about your situation.

If you have any general questions or concerns in regard to COVID-19, Long asks you to contact the Health Department on the Health Department Facebook page or by email at osagecountyhealthdepartment@gmail.com.

MARIES COUNTY

Phelps-Maries County Health Department has confirmed its first positive case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Maries County. The case is travel-related and the individual is quarantined at home.

The health department has made contact with this individual and they are working together to determine any close contacts who were possibly exposed. If there were any contacts, health officials will provide guidance to these individuals and monitor them closely for the development of symptoms.

“It is important that everyone continues to practice basic preventative measures to help decrease the spread,” said Phelps-Maries County Health Department Director Ashley Wann.

These measures, as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), include: avoiding contact with people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes, proper handwashing, cleaning frequently used surfaces, practicing social distancing, avoiding unnecessary travel and staying home from work when sick.

Individuals who are sick, particularly with fever and cough or shortness of breath, are being directed to stay at home and contact their primary care provider for guidance regarding symptoms and the next steps.

The health department is urging people with questions to consult with factual sources such as the DHSS website at health.mo.gov/coronavirus and the CDC website at cdc.gov/coronavirus. A statewide public COVID-19 hotline also operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week at (877)435-8411.

Gasconade County

The Gasconade County Health Department has received notification of the first positive case of COVID-19 in Gasconade County. According to the health department, it is not a travel-related case.

They are working with this individual to ensure they are following the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MO DHSS) and CDC guidelines regarding. They are also working with the person to identify anyone they came in close contact with to monitor them for symptoms and assist in the containment of the virus.

In the release issued Monday, the Gasconade County Health Department noted that it has taken and will continue to take the necessary precautions to keep the community safe and will continue to diligently monitor the COVID-19 situation as it evolves by following the CDC guidelines to protect public health and limit the spread of this virus.

Anyone that suspects they have COVID-19, or have been in contact with someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19 is encouraged to call their healthcare provider before seeking care, unless it is a life-threating emergency.

PHELPS COUNTY

While Phelps County has no confirmed positive COVID-19 cases designated to the area by DHSS, they are currently monitoring a positive case currently present in the area. The individual does not typically reside in the area, according to the health department.

The department said staff conducted a lengthy interview process as well as contact tracing with the individual and another county and determined there is no further risk for exposure to the community.

They are also monitoring the person’s household members. The department said they are not releasing any further information at this time.

In Phelps County, a testing facility has been set up in a lot across the street from the Rolla hospital. According to an article posted by the Rolla Daily News, Phelps Health CEO Ed Clayton said significant actions and steps were taken rapidly to protect employees, patients and the community. Several persons have been tested each day. Some are not tested if they do not pass the state’s stringent screening criteria to be approved for testing. The number of federally available testing kits for the virus have gone to other states that have had high incidence of the virus. Clayton said because of the unavailability of enough testing kits, the numbers for Missouri and its counties are artificially low. The state laboratory is promptly running the tests with a turnaround time of about six hours.

As far as supplies, Clayton said the test kits, mainly the swabs, are difficult to obtain. As the virus takes its toll, they are anticipating shortages of masks, face shields and other person protective equipment (PPE) so they are finding ways to get these supplies before the anticipated surge in the number of coronavirus patients.