COVID-19 cases rise in Stoddard County; governor encourages state-wide vaccinations

As COVID-19 rates rise across Southwest Missouri, active cases continue to climb in Stoddard County.

The Southeast Missourian reported July 3 that Stoddard County had 33 active cases. There are now 59, according to data released Wednesday from Stoddard County Public Health Center, rising from 43 on Monday to 59 Wednesday.

An outbreak at an Advance, Missouri, nursing facility resulted in several cases. Two residents of the facility have died, according to an announcement from the health center.

Ben Godwin, director of the health center, told the Southeast Missourian earlier this month the center sent samples of each of the nursing facility's positive cases to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). The DHSS will determine from the samples whether those in the nursing facility were sick with the delta variant, a more contagious strain of COVID-19. A representative of the Stoddard County Public Health Center said Wednesday morning they may not receive results from the DHSS for up to three weeks.

According to data from the DHSS, an estimated 28.5% of Stoddard County's residents have started the vaccination process.

Vaccine hesitancy

While in Cape Girardeau on Tuesday, Gov. Mike Parson said officials expected some COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the state and will continue to encourage Missourians to take one of the available vaccines for the virus.

"This is nothing we didn't think was going to happen," he said. "Now, we didn't know about the delta variant, but we knew there was going to be hesitancy to take the vaccine. So, the thing we can do from the state level is promote it as much as we can without forcing people to take the vaccine."

Parson said about 55% of the state's population has been vaccinated or has initiated vaccination. He said that percentage climbs to 80% for those 65 and older.

The governor touted the availability of vaccine doses.

"The good news is, you walk by a vaccine almost every day, whether it is in a pharmacy, whether it is in a health care center ... whether it is in a Walmart," he said. "You have the opportunity to get the vaccine if you so choose. So we have to encourage the people who are willing to do it to do it, but you also have to realize there is a risk involved. And, I think it's important to remember, it's not just yourself but other people around you."

Stoddard County Public Health Center hosts frequent vaccine clinics. View clinic times and make vaccine appointments at www.stoddardcountyhealth.com.

Editor Rick Fahr contributed to this story.