Stoddard County COVID-19 cases jump to 11

Stoddard County Public Health Center Director Ben Godwin told county commissioners during their weekly Monday morning meeting that three new COVID-19 cases had been reported over the weekend.

He said one case was reported in Advance, Bernie and Bloomfield, bring to the county’s total to 11.

Godwin said that a trend may be developing where COVID-19 patients are being infected outside the county. He said the three people who tested positive over the weekend worked in other counties.

Presiding Commissioner Danny Talkington urged that people be extremely careful when leaving Stoddard because the number of cases in neighboring counties have been increasing rapidly. He said the number of cases doubled in the last week in Scott County, and Butler and Dunklin counties have increased significantly as well.

Butler County’s positive COVID-19 tests jumped from four Monday, April 6, to 17 as of Monday morning.

According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services website, Cape Girardeau County had 30 cases, Scott had 24 and Dunklin 16 as of 3 p.m. Monday.

Godwin said that two COVID-19 patients were cleared to leave quarantine Monday, bringing the total of recovered patients to five.

During Monday’s conference call, Stoddard County Ambulance District Manager David Cooper asked Godwin about the possibility of opening a drive-through testing facility in Stoddard County.

“I think we’re doing a good job,” Godwin said of testing for coronavirus. “Southeast (Health Center of Stoddard County) is doing a great job with testing, and we’re getting results from other places in the county. (The testing is) getting pretty widespread. I don’t see a need for drive-through testing.”

Godwin mentioned Cross Trails Medical Center in Advance and Woods Medical Clinic in Puxico as places where testing is done.

Godwin said that more test kits have become available in the county.

“We’re not hurting for tests,” Godwin said. “There’s no one who needs testing that is not being tested.”

While more testing is being done, doctors aren’t testing everyone who requests one.

“You do have to show symptoms or have exposure,” Godwin said. “You have to show some sign of the symptoms.”

Talkington said that citizens should continue maintaining social distancing from other individuals and stay away from groups.

“If you see groups gathering, get word to Ben,” Talkington told members of law enforcement and first responders who were involved in the conference call.

Economic woes

With the coronavirus beginning to take hold in March, Talkington said that county revenue is down $25,000 from this time last year.

He said that if things improve by the end of the month, revenues should begin picking up in June or July.

Talkington asked that citizens support small businesses in the county.

“If this goes into May, some of our businesses are going to be in trouble,” he said.

New equipment

Stoddard County EMA Director Kent Polsgrove reported that Southeast Missouri State University gave the county protective shields for first responders to place over their masks and provide further protection from the coronavirus.

“We want to thank them for the face shields,” he said.