More than 250 new coronavirus cases reported in region

More than 250 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the region Thursday and Friday, but area health officials reported only one fatality attributed to the disease.

That death came Thursday in Scott County, marking the county's 19th death from the disease associated with coronavirus.

Eighteen new virus cases were reported in the county Thursday, pushing its total number of cases to 1,057, while 877 county residents have recovered from the virus.

Cape Girardeau County's Public Health Center reported more than a hundred new cases (49 Thursday and 66 Friday) to make the total number of cases in the county 2,369. Recoveries from the virus totaled 1,828 as of Friday, and 34 county residents have died from the virus. There were 507 active virus cases in the county Friday.

Cases within the county's long-term care facilities totaled 230 Friday, 88 of which were active. Twenty-four residents have died from the virus in those facilities.

According to officials, about 60% of the county's cases are in Cape Girardeau. The county's testing positivity rate stands at 11.5%, higher than the state average of 9.4%.

Southeast Missouri State University reported a total of 329 virus cases (303 students and 26 employees). Active cases totaled 152 (139 students and 13 employees), and those in on-campus isolation/quarantine totaled 70.

Elsewhere in Missouri, Stoddard County officials reported 68 new cases (749 total cases, 601 recoveries, 18 deaths). Active cases by jurisdiction as of Friday were: Advance, 12; Bernie, 12; Bloomfield, 21; Dexter, 61; Dudley, one; Essex, 11; and Puxico, six.

Bollinger County reported 31 new cases Thursday and five Friday (523 total cases, 426 recoveries, one death).

No update was available from Perry County (776 total cases, 723 recoveries, seven deaths).

Southern Seven Health Department in Illinois reported nine new cases Thursday and 12 new cases Friday in Union County (601 total cases, 413 recoveries, 20 deaths) and one new case Thursday and Friday in Alexander County (94 total cases, 60 recoveries, one death).