ksgf-website-shows-12

On Air

Red Eye Radio

Mon - Friday: 1:00 AM - 6:00 AM Saturday: 1:00 AM - 5:00 AM

Greene County Health Officials Having Tough Time Controlling Coronavirus

Greene County Health Officials Having Tough Time Controlling Coronavirus

Greene County Health Officials Having Tough Time Controlling Coronavirus

Public health officials in Greene County are starting to show some concern that the coronavirus is spreading too fast for them to control.

Assistant Springfield-Greene County Health Director Katie Towns says there have been 139 new cases reported since Sunday.

Towns says health officials are still monitoring more than 600 people who may have been exposed to the virus.

“In light of this, we do expect that we will not have the control over this virus that we want. For public health, hitting that capacity mark means that we will not be able to contact positive cases within that 24 hour period. And we will not be able to get to their close contacts and put them into a quarantine sort of process within that 24 hour period as well.”

Health officials are asking for the public’s help slowing the spread of the virus.

They say wear a mask, practice social distancing, and stay home if you’re sick.

Towns says most of the new cases come from two groups.

They’re either people who go to family gatherings, summer camps, or get together with large groups and don’t follow social distancing guidelines.

Or they get sick from community spread.

That means health officials can’t pinpoint exactly where they were exposed.

On Friday, CoxHealth reported it was treating 17 patients with COVID-19.

Mercy was treating 20.

On Monday, Towns says the health department will ask Springfield City Council for funding for an additional 37 positions to help with the pandemic.

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department currently has 110 positions.

Towns says the health department could also ask for funding from the CARES Act.

Greene County received $34 million dollars from the federal government.

The application process is now underway.

Recommended Posts

Loading...