Cape County updates quarantine guidance

Cape Girardeau County public health officials revised COVID-19 quarantine guidance this week.

Tuesday, they reported five additional virus-related deaths of county residents. Three of the fatalities involved patients in the 70 to 79 age group, while the other two deaths involved patients in the 60 to 69 and 80 to 89 age groups. Wednesday, they reported one virus-related death, pushing the county’s number of virus-related deaths to 89.

According to a release from the county’s Public Health Center, the new quarantine guidance — which went into effect Tuesday — is in accord with updated information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While CDC continues to recommend someone quarantine for 14 days after coming into close contact with an infected person, the new guidance allows for a shorter 10-day quarantine if the person has not displayed COVID-19-like symptoms.

Local officials endorsed the guidance after considering several factors, according to the release. Those factors included level of community spread, face-covering orders in effect, feasibility of contact monitoring and testing resources.

If a close contact becomes symptomatic at any time during their quarantine period, the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center recommends the individual isolate from household members, contact the Health Center and contact his or her local health care provider for testing.

To view the CDC definitions of confirmed and probable case, visit wwwn.cdc.gov/nndss/conditions/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/case-definition/2020.

Virus numbers

Three other virus-related deaths were also reported — two in Stoddard County, Missouri, and one in Scott County.

Updated virus numbers from Missouri counties as of Monday were:

• Bollinger: 14 new cases, 1,105 total cases, 1,010 recoveries, 12 deaths.
• Cape Girardeau: 75 new cases, 6,397 total cases, 4,872 recoveries, 89 deaths, 1,436 active cases.
• Perry: eight new cases, 1,896 total cases, 1,806 recoveries, 18 deaths.
• Scott: 32 new cases, 3,133 total cases, 2,302 recoveries, 46 deaths, 785 active cases.
• Stoddard: 18 new cases, 2,365 total cases, 2,174 recoveries, 54 deaths.

Southern Seven Health Department in Illinois reported 39 new cases in Union County (1,325 total cases, 818 recoveries, 24 deaths) and 10 new cases in Alexander County (276 total cases, 222 recoveries, three deaths).

Southeast Missouri State University reported a total of 668 cases (586 students, 82 employees) with 62 active cases (43 students, 19 employees). No one was in on-campus quarantine/isolation.