County’s health department explains significant uptick in COVID-19 stats

Recently, the number of COVID-19 Positive cases has taken an upswing in Daviess County, according to a joint statement from the Daviess County Health Department and the Daviess County Emergency Management Agency.
Currently there are 53 positives recorded since the beginning of the pandemic in March. Of those 53 positives, 19 have already recovered. This leaves us with 34 active cases who are at various stages of their quarantine time periods. These 19 cases are spread out throughout the county, not isolated to just one town, one school district, or one location.
Another source of the increase is of persons who have Daviess County as their legal address but are not currently in the county, such as college students and workers. While they are not here, their case is added to our county total because of their legal address. To add to our increase, the Missouri Department of Corrections just released numbers that they had been holding on to since April. This added an increase not just in Daviess County, but around the state.
The Daviess County Health Department has been in constant contact with the school districts within our county, monitoring and working together to develop plans for each school. This is an ongoing process working together to provide the safest environment for our children, teachers, and staff.
Officials understand and recognize the burden that it can place on families by having the students learning from home. It is not an easy environment for many kids to work online nor for the faculty trying to present the curriculum. Many studies have shown how our children learn better within the classroom environment, not to mention the interpersonal social skills that they gain. Ultimately, the goal is to keep the schools open and to continue to provide for the education of our children.
Media sources regularly report how the larger metropolitan areas have orders in place about mandatory masks in public and in businesses. Local businesses have asked you to wear masks in their stores; please abide by their requests without that request being mandatory.
Some may ask why Daviess County has no mandatory ordinance. Currently, local officials are following the State of Missouri’s guidelines for the “Phased Reopening of Missouri.” Missouri is in Phase 2 and has been since June. These guidelines continue to encourage social distancing, frequently hand washing, face coverings when you cannot distance six feet or more, as well as reduce the number of persons gathering in any one location, church, restaurant, etc. Also, if you are sick, stay home.
Daviess County Health Department Administrator Cheryl Alexander and Daviess County Emergency Management Director David Roll issued the following statement:
“While this increase is something that we are keeping our eyes on, we are still relatively low in comparison to many other counties and locations around the state. At the end of the day, it takes each and every one of us to be personally responsible in our actions and interactions with each another. Please help us slow the spread of the disease.”