During August alone, nearly 7,000 college-age people in Missouri have tested positive for COVID-19. At a press conference Thursday at Washington University in St. Louis, Gov. Mike Parson urged young people to take precautions to protect their communities.
“In some Missouri college communities, positivity rates have soared as high as 45% in one day just among the 18-24 population,” said Parson.
He said about 30% of Missouri’s positive cases are now among the 18 to 24-year-old age group.
“While young, healthy people are likely to have mild symptoms and quick recoveries that they may unknowingly carry COVID-19 to someone older or with underlying conditions who is not able to fight off the virus. This is why it is so important for young people to take precautions and understand the responsibility they have in the health of their communities,” said Parson.
The nation’s top infectious disease expert says seven states, including Missouri, should be particularly careful over the Labor Day holiday. Dr. Anthony Fauci says if citizens of these states are “careless”, there could be another spike in COVID-19 cases this fall.
In a press release today from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, it says Labor Day will mark six months since state officials were notified of Missouri’s first positive case of the coronavirus.
“People tend to let their guard down during these long holiday weekends,” said DHSS Department Director Dr. Randall Williams. “We don’t want to see people become complacent. We don’t want anyone to contract COVID-19, young or old. There are those that may be considered ‘high risk’ and ‘low risk,’ for adverse outcomes, but there is no population that is at ‘no risk.’”
The department says more than one million Missourians have been tested for the coronavirus, with 8.7% testing positive.
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