No coronavirus deaths reported Friday after four noted Thursday

Pausing a recent trend, no new COVID-19 deaths were reported in the region Friday, though four Cape Girardeau County deaths were blamed on the virus Thursday.

New cases of the disease associated with coronavirus, though, continued their upward climb.

Officials with Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center reported 42 new cases -- 27 in Cape Girardeau, 11 in Jackson, and four elsewhere in the county. The new cases pushed the county's total to 2,094, while 1,528 county residents have recovered from the virus and 32 deaths have been attributed to it.

Active cases in the county dropped by 10 to 534. The active cases have increased rapidly in recent weeks: Aug. 5, 107; Aug. 26, 218; Sept. 16, 344; Sept. 23, 487; and Sept. 30, 571.

Cases at long-term care facilities in the county totaled 180 Friday, up six from Thursday. Sixty-three of those cases were active, and the virus has killed 21 county residents in such facilities.

Virus testing showed the county's positivity rate to be 11.4% over the past week, which is higher than the state average of 10.3%.

Southeast Missouri State University reported 17 new cases Thursday, pushing the total number of cases to 284 (263 students and 21 employees). Of the total, 151 cases (141 students and 10 employees) were active Thursday. Those in quarantine/isolation on campus rose by six to 53.

Elsewhere in Missouri, Stoddard County reported 17 new cases (638 total cases, 496 recoveries, 18 deaths). Active cases within the county's incorporated areas as of Friday were: Advance, eight; Bell City, one; Bernie, 13; Bloomfield, 10; Dexter, 44; Dudley, two; Essex, two; and Puxico, 15.

Perry County reported 15 new cases from its last report (740 total cases, 698 recoveries, seven deaths)

Scott County reported five new cases (983 total cases, 826 recoveries, 17 deaths), and Bollinger County reported four new cases (469 active cases, 379 recoveries, one death)

Southern Seven Health Department in Illinois reported three new cases in Union County (516 total cases, 401 recoveries, 20 deaths) but no new cases in Alexander County (85 total cases, 54 recoveries, one death).