Five Cape County deaths attributed to coronavirus

Cape Girardeau County’s death toll attributed to COVID-19 grew by five Wednesday and Thursday.

Cape Girardeau County health officials reported one death Wednesday and four Thursday, by far the largest one-day death total from the disease associated with coronavirus. The deaths increased the county’s virus death toll to 23.

Officials reported 40 new virus cases Thursday, on top of the 38 new cases reported Wednesday. The new cases pushed the county’s total number of cases to 1,710. To date, 1,244 county residents have recovered from the virus. As of Thursday, there were 443 active cases involving county residents.

Also 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 reported 27 new cases for a total of 153 — 139 students and 14 employees. Twenty students are in quarantine/isolation on campus, an increase of seven from its last report. Active cases were 71, up from 61 in its previous report. Active cases involving students totaled 67, more than a threefold increase from Sept. 13, when active cases were below 20.

Officials in Scott County reported 10 new cases Thursday, pushing the county’s total number of cases to 858, with 731 recoveries and 16 deaths.

Elsewhere in Missouri, Perry County officials reported 11 new cases (684 total cases, 606 recoveries, four deaths). Stoddard County reported 10 new cases (533 total cases, 411 recoveries, 17 deaths). No new information was available from Bollinger County, which previously reported 392 total cases, 263 recoveries and one death.

Southern Seven Health Department in Illinois reported one new case in Alexander County (73 total cases, 46 recoveries, one death) but no new cases in Union County (491 total cases, 386 recoveries, 20 deaths).

Other virus-related developments include:

• A community testing event will be held from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau. Registration is required through the state Department of Health and Senior Services.
• Cape Girardeau County Emergency Management Agency director Mark Winkler said Thursday that Dr. John Russell of the county’s public health department has been directed to look into prioritizing a protocol for the county to follow whenever a valid COVID-19 vaccine becomes available.
• Cape Girardeau Central Schools report three active cases of COVID-19 and are reporting 89 people in quarantine, according to Kristin Tallent, the district’s communications coordinator.
• Notre Dame Regional High School suspended classes and extracurricular activities Monday and Tuesday for contact tracing and quarantine notifications. Classes and all activities resumed Wednesday, according to Paul Unterreiner, assistant principal.