Eight deaths in Cape County since Wednesday attributed to COVID-19

This week was a lethal one for COVID-19 in Cape Girardeau County.

Officials with the county's Public Health Center said the disease associated with coronavirus claimed three more lives Friday -- two patients in the 80 to 89 age bracket and one older than 90 -- capping a week in which deaths of county residents from the virus grew to 26. Friday's trio of deaths came after five total deaths were attributed to the virus Wednesday and Thursday.

The county added nearly 100 new virus cases, 91, Friday, pushing its total number of cases to 1,801. Recoveries from the virus totaled 1,262 in the county as of Friday. Active cases totaled 513, a number that grew by 70 Friday and has more than doubled since early September. Of Friday's new cases, 70 were in Cape Girardeau, nine were in Jackson, and 12 were elsewhere in the county.

Health officials noted a number of the new cases involved patients at long-term care facilities.

By their count, 131 cases have involved patients in such facilities, and 59 of those cases were active as of Friday. Of the county's deaths, 14 have involved patients in long-term care facilities.

Thursday, the county's Board of Health extended its face-covering order until Oct. 27.

"The decision to issue and extend the Face-Covering Order was not taken lightly. Multiple factors were considered including the positivity rate of testing, increasing regional hospitalization rates, increasing active cases in Cape County, and the condition of the Southeast Region," a statement from the board said.

Southeast Missouri State University also noted a spike in cases Friday, reporting 34 new cases (33 students and one employee). Since July, the university has totaled 187 cases (172 students and 15 employees). There were 98 active cases as of Friday (93 students and five employees), an increase of 26 from the previous day. Those in quarantine/isolation on campus totaled 33 on Friday, an increase of 13 from the previous day.

Other Missouri counties in the area reported about three dozen new cases -- but no deaths -- Friday:

• Scott County: five new cases (863 total cases, 737 recoveries, 16 deaths)
• Bollinger County: 13 new cases (405 total cases, 348 recoveries, one death)
• Stoddard County: 12 new cases (545 total cases, 429 recoveries, 17 deaths)
• Perry County: seven new cases (691 total cases, 629 recoveries, seven deaths).

Southern Seven Health Department in Illinois reported seven new cases -- two in Alexander County (75 total cases, 46 recoveries, one death) and five in Union County (496 total cases, 388 recoveries, 20 deaths).