The Moniteau County Health Center confirmed another coronavirus-related death of a county resident Tuesday.
This marks the county's 17th death due to COVID-19 this year. The person who died was in their 60s, according to the Health Center.
Moniteau County's active COVID-19 cases have been steadily trending down.
As of Monday, the county is still classified in the "Extreme Risk" category per the state of Missouri's recently updated guidance, with a seven-day positivity rate of 19.4 percent and 229 new cases per 100,000 members of the population. Compared to roughly one week ago, the county's positivity rate has decreased by nearly 10 percent and the new case rate has dropped by almost 200.
As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, there are 67 active cases of COVID-19 among residents of Moniteau County, part of a total of 1,563 cases since the start of the pandemic.
The Health Center once again urged the community to take actions to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including avoiding close contact with people who are sick; avoiding touching one's eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands; washing hands with soap and water regularly; cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces regularly; staying home if one feels sick; and adhering to proper social distancing by remaining 6 feet away from others and wearing a facial covering when engaging in tasks away from home.
Symptoms of COVID-19 may include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For more information about COVID-19 in Missouri and what can be done on an individual level to help stop the spread, visit oneforallmo.com. Additional information about COVID-19 can be found at health.mo.gov/coronavirus or cdc.gov/coronavirus.
Missouri operates a statewide COVID-19 hotline at 877-435-8411 from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. seven days a week.