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St. Francois County Health Center nearing capacity

Newly confirmed cases of the coronavirus are community spread, according to a release from St. Francois County Health Center
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nurse holds a swab for the coronavirus / covid19 test

ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY, Mo. — The St. Francois County Health Center said it is nearing capacity and strongly recommends the county moves into its red phase.

According to a press release on its Facebook page, leaders at Parkland Health Center and St. Francois County Health Center are asking for the community’s support in helping to slow the spread of the virus.

“The hospital is nearing capacity. Please see the previous post. For this reason, we are moving to red. Please understand these are strong recommendations; not mandates.

In regards to schools, the schools have been open for activities and summer school. This does not mandate closures or delays in the opening of schools,” St. Francois County Health Center posted on its Facebook.

The county has seen an increase of nearly 200 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the past week and according to the release on the health center’s Facebook, the newly confirmed cases are the result of community spread. According to the St. Francois County Health Department, there have been 635 confirmed cases in the county.

Credit: KSDK

"Due to the rapid increase in cases, our capacity to investigate cases in a timely manner is not possible. We are seeing active community transmission. Every interaction with persons outside your household should be treated as a risk for transmission," a message on the St. Francois County Health Center's website said.

“Masks are one of the most effective tools we have available to us to help slow the spread of the virus – particularly when used universally within a community setting. My mask protects you, and your mask protects me,” said Amber Elliott, St. Francois County Health Center Director.

“It will take our entire community working together to slow the spread of COVID-19. With the recent increase in cases in our county, we want to stress the importance of safety measures to ensure our local health care staff remain safe and able to provide the care out community members need. This includes wearing masks, practicing physical distancing and effected hand hygiene, and refraining from touching our faces,” she added.

On Tuesday, U.S. Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Dr. Birx made a visit to Missouri Governor Mike Parson's mansion. She encouraged mask-wearing but stopped short of recommending a statewide mandate.

"We need every American and everyone in Missouri to wear a mask," Dr. Birx said during the media briefing that followed the roundtable discussion with cabinet members and community and state health officials.

RELATED: Missouri health department reports fewer than 800 new cases Tuesday, 6 new deaths

RELATED: US Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Dr. Birx encourages mask-wearing, but no mandate during visit to Missouri

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