Missouri’s health director says there is a four-day backlog of about 7,000 COVID-19 tests waiting to be entered into the reporting system.
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams briefs Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on July 14, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)
During a Thursday media briefing in Jefferson City, State Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams told Capitol reporters that they’re working as quickly as possible.
“We’ve been using the (Missouri) National Guard, we’ve been using other people, but we are ramping up other people in DHSS to become contact tracers and to do the filing of that information,” Dr. Williams says.
He says that DHSS is training others to do that job. He also emphasizes that the department’s rule is to report positives within an hour. Dr. Williams says he’s insisted on that.
Missouri now has 31,290 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to DHSS. That’s an increase of about 800 from Thursday. It’s also an increase of 3,847 from Monday’s number of 27,443.
DHSS says there have been 1,121 coronavirus deaths in Missouri.
Dr. Williams continues to urge Missourians to practice social distancing and to wear a mask, saying it’s the key to preventing the spread of COVID-19.
He urges people to be creative, and he put on a Mizzou mask while he was speaking to Capitol reporters on Thursday.
Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet
