Moniteau County recorded its 14th and 15th deaths due to the coronavirus in the last week, as total cases since March have climbed past 1,200.
Both of the deceased individuals were in their 70s. With the two latest included, Moniteau County has seen 10 total deaths due to COVID-19 in just October and November combined.
As of press time Tuesday, active cases of COVID-19 in Moniteau County number at 147, with eight of those individuals hospitalized. While the slightly declining amount of active cases is an encouraging sign - the active case count hit an all-time high of 243 last Thursday - Moniteau County has not seen a day with fewer than 100 active cases since nearly a month ago Oct. 26.
The Moniteau County Health Center encouraged citizens Tuesday to adapt their Thanksgiving traditions to reduce exposure to COVID-19 and lower risk. "Low risk" ways to observe the holiday, per the Health Center, include celebrating at home with those one lives with and connecting with other loved ones via video chat or phone call; and shopping online and using curbside pickup or delivery services instead of shopping and eating indoors.
"Medium risk" activities include visiting with friends and family outdoors in an area where social distancing can be observed; gathering with a small group for a modified Thanksgiving, where guests can avoid close contacts like hugging or kissing, adhere to social distancing guidelines and wear a mask when not eating; and shopping when stores are not crowded.
The traditional extended family get together bringing individuals from other cities into one location falls in the "high risk" category, according to the tips shared by the Health Center, as do the retail-based traditions falling around the Thanksgiving holiday that may lead to shopping at crowded stores.
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.