Jump in cases cancels events; Walmart to require masks

Coronavirus cases continue to increase locally and in response, local events are being canceled while Walmart will begin requiring masks to enter their store.

On Wednesday, the SEMO District Fair’s Board of Directors announced the fair has been canceled because of coronavirus concerns.

The fair was scheduled to take place Sept. 12-19 at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau.

“This decision does not come lightly to anyone involved,” the Board said in a press release issued Wednesday night. “The SEMO Fair touches many lives, vocations and has a significant economical impact in our area. Consideration for everyone from vendors to visitors, exhibitors to entertainers and beyond comes into play. With all of these things considered and with no scientific solution to contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), we cannot, in good conscience, hold an event that would be detrimental to public health and place people in unsafe conditions.”

The board also said they are looking to find a way to continue the livestock auction. New information on the livestock auction will be available at www.semofair.com and the fair’s social media pages.

The virus has also canceled the “Sounds Under the Stars,” the weekly Music in the Park event held in the summertime, planned for Friday night in Charleston.

Earlier this week, the Mississippi County Health Department was notified of a positive case that attended the Music in the Park event on July 10 and it has been determined that individuals that attended the event may have been exposed.

Those who attended the July 10 event are encouraged to closely monitor themselves for signs and symptoms through July 24 due to the potential exposure.

Meanwhile the City of Portageville issued a statement that with the troubling recent spike of positive cases in and around the community, the City is working with county and state officials to monitor the situation and develop responses to combat the situation.

The statement said the City needs to be vigilant in their response to the pandemic and must protect those who are most at risk from the illness.

“If you are in contact with elderly or those who have preexisting medical conditions, use common sense practices to protect them...masks, proper hand washing, limiting contact...these are ways to keep our most vulnerable lived ones safe. IF YOU FEEL SICK, OR ARE IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS TESTED POSITIVE, PLEASE SEEK...AND FOLLOW...MEDICAL ADVICE,” the statement said.

While events are being canceled and communities try to find how to best to combat the pandemic, Walmart will require customers to wear face coverings at all of its stores as well as Sam’s Club stores.

The company said the policy will go into effect on Monday to allow time to inform stores and customers. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based company said that currently about 65% of its more than 5,000 stores and clubs are located in areas where there is already some form of government mandate on face coverings.

The masks, while controversial, are the latest effort to stop the spread of the virus, which is increasing locally as well as across the state.

The Scott County Health Department is reporting 231 cases early Thursday afternoon, an increase of four from Tuesday. There are 56 active cases while 162 have recovered. There have been 13 reported deaths in the county related to COVID-19.

The Mississippi County Health Department last reported 118 positive cases, including 71 in the general population with 23 cases active and 48 recovered.

There have been 47 inmates test positive at the Southeast Correctional Center in Charleston where the Missouri Department of Corrections reports all but one have recovered. There are still three active cases among staff members of the 20 who tested positive.

The New Madrid County Health Department reported six additional positive cases early Thursday afternoon, giving the county 87. There are 41 active cases with 46 recovered and one related death.

The Stoddard County Public Health Center reports 160 positive cases early Thursday, an increase of two. There are 22 active cases with 129 recovered and nine deaths related to to the virus.

The Pemiscot County Health Center reported 12 additional cases early Thursday, giving the county 149 cases. There are 37 active with 106 recovered and six deaths contributed to the virus.

The Dunklin County Health Department reported six new cases, giving the county 137 cases. Of those, 26 are active with 108 recovered and three deaths.

The Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center saw 34 new cases, with 390 confirmed and 44 potential cases early Thursday afternoon. There are 211 active cases in the county with 219 recovered and three deaths.

Statewide, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported an increase of 708 cases Thursday and 10 additional deaths. To date, there have been 30,422 positive cases with 1,113 deaths.