Ending of Federal Emergency
This is the final COVID-19 Dashboard that will be published by the Dent County Health Center. On May 11th, 2023, the Federal Emergency ended, and with that, most of the remaining emergency rules regarding COVID-19 ended as well.
Continuation of Monitoring
COVID-19 has been added to the list of routine infectious diseases which are monitored by our office. It continues to be required in Missouri to report positive cases to our office and to the State, however, negative tests do not have to be reported, so calculation of a positivity rate is no longer possible.
As we monitor cases and transmission to the best of our ability, we will put out notices during outbreaks of public concern if necessary.
Continue Mitigation Efforts
Though the emergency declaration has ended, COVID-19 still presents a risk of severe illness and death to people who have no immunity against it and those with a weakened immune system. COVID-19 can still cause significant illness in otherwise healthy individuals and carries a risk of long-COVID symptoms regardless of immunity status. Vaccination does provide a degree of protection against long-COVID and against severe disease.
Recommended Actions for Community Members
Though COVID-19 is now considered an “endemic” disease, it is still necessary to protect yourself and others from it. Many serious illnesses are endemic to Missouri, but we still take measures to protect ourselves. To protect from tick-borne illnesses, you might wear insect repellent and remove ticks as soon as they are spotted. To prevent the spread of hepatitis and food poisoning, we require restaurant workers to be vaccinated, wash their hands, and follow detailed rules called the Missouri Food Code. Similarly, there are actions that should be taken regarding COVID-19 as well.
We recommend the following actions to protect yourself and others from COVID-19:
- If you are sick with respiratory symptoms, get a test for COVID-19 (or better, a combination test for influenza and other respiratory illneses).
- If you test positive for COVID-19 or influenza, you should stay home until your symptoms improve.
- If you are symptomatic and you cannot stay home, wear the highest quality mask you can obtain while you are around others.
- If you see someone else wearing a mask, they probably have a good reason for it. They may be immunocompromised or they may be sick themselves. Consider wearing a mask when around others who are wearing a mask.
- Stay up-to-date on vaccinations. For people not yet vaccinated, only 1 dose of the updated bivalent vaccine is needed in most cases. Adults 65 and older and immunocompromised individuals are also eligible for additional bivalent boosters at this time.
Remember that even if COVID-19 doesn’t severely affect you, you may pass it on to someone who is susceptible to it. Masks work best when worn by the person who is sick. As a community, it is important for us to protect each other and keep each other healthy.
If you have any questions or concerns, you can reach our office at 573-729-3106 or email us at covid@dentcohealth.org
