Delta variant cases confirmed at Advance nursing facility

Five people have died in two Stoddard County, Missouri, nursing facilities in the past month because of COVID-19.

Recent tests from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services have confirmed cases of the delta variant at a skilled nursing facility in Advance, according to Stoddard County Public Health Center director Ben Godwin.

Godwin said he sent tests from 11 of the facility’s residents to DHSS. More than half of the residents tested positive for the variant, a more contagious strain of COVID-19.

Godwin has yet to receive test results from the DHSS on another nursing facility in Stoddard County with positive cases — Winchester Place in Bernie. It takes about three weeks to receive results, he said.

Stoddard County, along with several other counties across Missouri, especially those in the southwest corner of the state, has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases in the last four weeks. Stoddard County began July with 33 active cases. The county now has 158 cases, according to Stoddard County Public Health Center’s most recent data.

The majority of the county’s positive cases come from Dexter.

Godwin attributed the spike to a number of factors, including decreased social distancing and Stoddard County’s low vaccination rate.

“We’re offering vaccinations on a weekly basis here, but very, very few people are getting their vaccinations right now,” he said.

Approximately 26% of Stoddard County residents are fully vaccinated, according to DHSS.

“If we can get that number up, our numbers would be better,” he added.

Nearly 48% (47.7%) of Missourians have initiated a COVID-19 vaccine regimen, while 41.1% have completed the vaccination.

Stoddard County Public Health Center holds weekly vaccination clinics at its facility in Bloomfield. Call the health center at (573) 568-4593 to schedule an appointment.

Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center announced two drive-through COVID-19 testing events at Red Show Barn, 410 Kiwanis Drive, Cape Girardeau. The events will be from 11 a.m. To 7 p.m. Sunday and Aug. 15.

COVID-19 by

the numbers

The latest statistics from DHSS for select Missouri counties:

• Bollinger: nine new cases in past seven days; 7.1% testing positivity rate; 26.8% of the population has initiated a vaccination regimen; 23.5% of the population has completed a vaccination regimen
• Cape Girardeau: 99 new cases in past seven days; 10.1% testing positivity rate; 39.5% of the population has initiated a vaccination regimen; 34.8% of the population has completed a vaccination regimen
• Perry: 19 new cases in past seven days; 12.6% testing positivity rate; 31.9% of the population has initiated a vaccination regimen; 28.6% of the population has completed a vaccination regimen
• Scott: 34 new cases in past seven days: 11.7% testing positivity rate; 36.8% of the population has initiated a vaccination regimen; 32.6% of the population has completed a vaccination regimen.
• Stoddard: 62 new cases in past seven days; 24.9% testing positivity rate; 30.4% of the population has initiated a vaccination regimen; 26.2% of the population has completed a vaccination regimen.

The state’s testing positivity rate for the past seven days as of Wednesday was 14.7%. The state had recorded more than 15,700 new and probable virus cases and 32 deaths in the past seven days.