Virus cases remain high throughout SE Missouri

No COVID-19-related deaths were reported in nearby Missouri counties Friday, but active virus case counts remained elevated.

Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center officials reported 53 new confirmed virus cases, along with 36 new probable cases, for a total of 12,093 cases for the pandemic. As of Friday, there were 416 active cases in the county. Officials reported no new virus-related deaths. To date, 149 county residents have died because of the virus.

As of Friday, 40% of the county's residents had completed a virus vaccine regimen.

Scott County health officials reported 71 new virus cases since Monday, pushing the county's total number of confirmed virus cases to 5,412. There have also been 805 probable cases during the pandemic, and there were 140 probable active cases as of Friday. There were 545 active confirmed cases in the county Friday. Ninety-six county residents have died because of the virus.

Perry County, Missouri, officials reported 115 new virus cases, but no virus-related deaths, in the past week. The new cases pushed the total number of confirmed cases to 2,734 for the pandemic. Thirty-two county residents have died because of the virus.

At Southeast Missouri State University, active cases fell to 39 (36 students and three employees), while on-campus quarantine fell to nine.

Bollinger County, Missouri, officials reported 144 active cases in the county Friday, noting the most recent data showed the county's testing positivity rate to be nearly 26%, more than twice the state average.

In Stoddard County, Missouri, positive cases grew by 49 since Wednesday, totaling 4,770 for the pandemic. Ninety-two county residents have died because of the virus, and as of Friday, there were 189 active cases in the county.

Southern Seven Health Department in Illinois reported one virus-related death, a Union County man in his 80s. One new virus case was reported in Alexander County, while six new cases were reported in Union County.