Cape Girardeau County COVID, monkeypox update

COVID-19 cases in Cape Girardeau County increased more than 115% from May to June, according to data presented to the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center (PHC) Board of Trustees, which met Tuesday for its regularly scheduled monthly meeting.

A total of 266 cases were reported in May, which jumped to 573 in June, a probable indication of the local impact of the BA.5 viral strain.

Board members received the information from staff without comment.

Cape Girardeau County was classified July 14 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be in the "high risk" category for COVID-19, a designation shared with Perry and Scott counties.

At the time, PHC chairman John Freeze told the Southeast Missourian there was "zero possibility" the increased transmission from BA.5 would cause implementation of a new mask mandate, suggesting the PHC and the health department have "no appetite" to make such a designation and added there is "confusion" about the authority county health boards have about issuing such a requirement.

Missouri Hospital Association said 5% of hospital beds in the Southeast Missouri region are caring for COVID-19 patients, up nearly 30% in a week, with MHA also reporting hospital admissions have increased 42% in that time span.

Monkeypox

Autumn Grim, epidemiologist and project coordinator for Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, said no cases of monkeypox have been reported in Southeast Missouri to-date, with only eight cases statewide.

"The risk (of monkeypox) is extremely low to the general population," Grim said Thursday.

According to multiple sources, the Biden administration is expected to declare monkeypox, a virus which spreads from animals to humans, a health emergency, as 3,600 cases have been reported nationally with New York City considered the epicenter of the outbreak.

Xavier Becerra, U.S. secretary of health and human services, said Thursday via Twitter: "Our goal is to combat this monkeypox outbreak -- that's why we're getting 1.1 million doses of JYNNEOS vaccine into communities across the country."

Approvals

Amy Morris, the department's environmental health specialist, told PHC board members seven restaurants have been granted recent approval for operation: Crepe Girardeau; Craig and Molly's Hutch; Ziggi's Coffee; Moorish Kings Restaurant and Lounge; Robin's Nest; Poppy's Sweet Treats; and Jive Turkey. All but Ziggi's and Moorish Kings Restaurant are mobile food trucks.