Six coronavirus deaths reported in region

Six COVID-19-related deaths were reported by area health officials Friday.

The deaths from the disease related to coronavirus came in the same week regional officials attributed nine other deaths to the virus.

Four of the newly reported fatalities were Cape Girardeau County residents -- one in the 50-59 age bracket, two 70-79 and one 90-99 -- making the county's death toll from the virus 44. The other two deaths involved Perry County, Missouri, residents. Nine residents have died from the virus in Perry County.

Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center reported 71 new virus cases (39 Thursday and 32 Friday), pushing the county's total number of virus cases to 2,577, while 2,003 county residents have recovered.

Five new virus cases were reported in the county's long-term care facilities (251 total cases, 131 recoveries, 31 deaths).

Perry County officials reported 36 new cases (856 total cases, 801 recoveries).

Scott County reported 34 new virus cases (1,303 total cases, 940 recoveries, 20 deaths).

Elsewhere in Missouri, Stoddard County reported 54 new cases (886 total cases, 668 recoveries, 18 deaths), while Bollinger County only reported 14 new cases (eight Thursday and six Friday) for a total case count of 578, with 462 recoveries and two deaths attributed to the virus).

Southern Seven Health Department in Illinois reported 17 new cases in Union County (698 total cases, 440 recoveries, 21 deaths) but no new cases in Alexander County (100 total cases, 62 recoveries and one death).

School change

The Meridian School District in Mounds, Illinois, converted to online learning Friday after two physical education teachers tested positive for coronavirus and the possibility that seven additional instructors were exposed during a professional development day earlier this month. Those teachers have been quarantined.

The district will continue virtual instruction until at least Nov. 4.

"They did PE outside and all had masks, but after consulting with the health department, we decided to err on the side of caution and go 'remote' for the whole district," said Meridian High School principal Maryanne Boren. "It would have been doubtful if we could have found substitutes for seven teachers anyway."

Jay Wolz contributed reporting for this story.