Eight virus-related deaths reported

Eight COVID-19-related deaths were reported in the region Wednesday.

Officials with Cape Girardeau County reported about 100 new cases of the disease Wednesday, but attributed no additional deaths to it. The county's testing positivity rate rose to 22.5%.

As of Wednesday, 5,869 county residents had contracted the virus; 4,420 have recovered from it; and active cases stood at 1,379. Seventy deaths have been blamed on the disease.

Cases in the county's long-term care facilities totaled 423, with 327 recoveries, 52 active cases and 44 deaths.

Medical bed availability fell to 28%, while ICU availability rose to 33% Wednesday.

Southeast Missouri State University reported a total of 646 cases (571 students and 75 employees). Active cases dropped to 67 (51 students, 16 employees), and on-campus quarantine/isolation remained at one.

Elsewhere in Missouri:

• Bollinger County — 1,035 total cases, 948 recoveries, nine deaths
• Perry County — 1,816 total cases, 1,694 recoveries, 18 deaths (two new)
• Scott County — 2,917 total cases, 2,106 recoveries, 43 deaths (three new)
• Stoddard County — 2,210 total cases, 1,935 recoveries, 45 deaths (three new).

Southern Seven Health Department in Illinois reported Union County with 1,181 total cases, 706 recoveries and 23 deaths and Alexander County with 256 total cases, 176 recoveries and one death.