The Jefferson County Health Department reported another 33 COVID-19 cases this weekend, bringing the total number of cases in the county to 1,155 since the first ones were reported in March.

The Health Department had reported 21 new cases on Friday (July 24), but the agency said it found out about another 13 cases later that day, for a total of 34 on Friday.

In addition, the Health Department reported 15 new cases on Saturday (July 25), as well as five more cases today (July 26).

Of the county’s 1,155 total cases, 317 are open, or active, ones, the Health Department reported.

Active cases are the number of positive cases excluding COVID-19 deaths and those patients who have been released from isolation.

The Health Department reported the county has had 25 COVID-19-related deaths and 813 people have been released from isolation, which means they recovered enough to be released from case management.

Health officials urge residents to practice social distancing, wear masks and take other steps to limit the spread of the virus.

The Health Department Board of Trustees is expected to meet at 3 p.m. Tuesday (July 28) to again discuss the pandemic and preventive measures, including a possible mandatory mask mandate.

Trustees held a meeting this past Tuesday and after presentations and public comments about the pandemic and mandatory masks, no vote was taken.

The Health Department also encourages residents to pay attention to the agency’s system that warns about the level of threat to the community from COVID-19 at any given time. The system uses a green, yellow or red guidance status to indicate the level of threat.

Currently the county is at the yellow guidance status, which means people should continue taking preventive steps to curb the spread of the virus.

The system also has a green level, which is less restrictive, and a red level, which would have more restrictions in place.

For more information about the system, go to jeffcohealth.org.

County coronavirus stats

Of the county’s total cases, 1,052 are lab-confirmed cases and 103 are probable cases, according to the Health Department.

In addition, 79 county residents have been hospitalized due to the coronavirus, the Health Department reported.

The Health Department also reported today that 29 of the county’s cases were transmitted through travel, 538 were from contact and 588 are unknown.

According to the Health Department, 452 of the county’s coronavirus cases have been men, 615 cases have been women and 88 are unknown.

The confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county include 26 people younger than nine, 70 people 10 to 19 years old, 198 people 20-29 years old, 158 people 30-39 years old, 165 people 40-49 years old, 180 people 50-59 years old, 141 people 60-69 years old, 72 people 70-79 years old, 54 people in their 80s or older and 91 unknown.

In addition, the Health Department reported today that it has monitored a total of 1,658 cases, and of those, 680 are still actively being monitored and another 978 have been released from monitoring.

Brianne Zwiener, communications specialist with the Health Department, said a person who is being actively monitored has been in contact with a positive case, but is not showing symptoms.

She said people who are actively monitored are quarantined to their homes and must take their temperature twice a day for 14 days.

Long-term care facilities

Of the county’s total cases of the coronavirus, 256 have been at long-term care facilities, which includes residents and staff members who live inside Jefferson County.

Three new cases were reported at long-term care facilities today, the Health Department reported.

Jefferson County has had at least eight COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities, Health Department Director Kelley Vollmar said.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) defines an outbreak as one or more residents testing positive for the virus or one or more staff members who have worked within a facility in the 14 days before testing positive.

Of the county’s 25 COVID-19 deaths, 18 have been in long term-care facilities, the Health Department reported.

The Health Department also reported that of the total number of cases at long-term care facilities, 68 are active ones, and 170 have been released from isolation. Residents in long-term care facilities go through two quarantine periods before being released from isolation.

Also, according to the Health Department, 22 people from long-term care facilities have been hospitalized.

Anyone who shows coronavirus symptoms or who has questions should call the Missouri State Hotline at 877-435-8411 or the Mercy Clinical Support Line at 314-251-0500. For more information about COVID-19, visit jeffcohealth.org/coronavirus-covid19.