COVID-19 cases grow by four in Scott County; Cape Girardeau County steady

Scott County's reported COVID-19 cases increased to 45 on Friday, up from 41 the previous day, and the county recorded its first death attributed to the disease.

No details on the fatality were provided.

A family member of a resident at Sikeston Convalescent Center told the Southeast Missourian on Friday a number of cases have been identified at the nursing home, but officials at the nursing home have not responded to questions about positive cases there.

The county's Health Department began releasing some demographic information about the patients Friday, but has not identified where the patients are located.

According to the Health Department, 32 of the positive cases involve female patients. Twenty-two are African American, and 23 are caucasian. The positive cases are farily evenly spread among a handful of age groups: 0-19, one; 20-29, five; 30-39, five; 40-49, seven; 50-59, two; 60-69, six; 70-79, five; and 80-plus, 14.

Cape Girardeau County health officials reported no new cases Friday, with the number of positive cases in the county remaining at 35. Seven of those patients remained hospitalized.

Positive cases in surrounding Missouri counties as of Friday were:

• Bollinger, three (no increase)
• Perry, 39 (increase of one)
• Stoddard, 15 (increase of two).

The state Department of Health and Senior Services was reporting 5,283 cases in the state Friday, with 165 deaths and 53,525 Missourians, less than 1 percent of the population, tested for the virus.

Union County, Illinois, reported four positive cases Friday, an increase of one from Thursday. Alexander County, Illinois, reported one case, no change from Thursday.