Boone County, Mizzou respond to uptick in COVID-19 cases

Younger people packing bars in Boone County has contributed to the county's increase in COVID-19 cases, according to a health official.

63 POSITIVE CASES AREAMONG GREEK LIFE.A SPIKE IN COVID CASESIN BOONE COUNTY ISCAUSING MIZZOU TO MAKESOME CHANGES.TODAY THE UNIVERSITYREPORTED 415 ACTIVECASES ON CAMPUS -- ANINCREASE OF MORE THAN100 SINCE FRIDAY.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER EMMA JAMESFOUND OUT WHAT MIZZOUIS DOING TO STOP THESPREAD.EMMA JAMES, REPORTING"The county's coronavirusdashboard shows thesignificant increase in thecounty's positivity rate.

Injustone week - it increased from10.6 percent to 44.6.

Thepublic health department tellsme it's still analyzing thesenumbers but say it's prettyclear the source of the spike"SCOTT CLARDY, ASSISTANTDIRECTOR, COLUMBIA/BOONECOUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH"I really think the issue, whatwe have seen anyway, theissue up to this point is justfrankly people gathering atbars, and not observing socialdistancing."SCOTT CLARDY -ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FORCOLUMBIA/BOONE COUNTYPUBLIC HEALTH SAYS THE18-22 YEAR OLD AGEGROUP POSITIVITY RATE ISINCREASING DRASTICALLY-RISING FROM 38.7 TO 60.4DURING THE COURSE OF AWEEK.SCOTT CLARDY, ASSISTANTDIRECTOR, COLUMBIA/BOONECOUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH"I think that's just what we'reseeing is the impact of peoplenot abiding by socialdistancing rules."BECAUSE OF THESTAGGERING RISE INCASES - A NEW COUNTYAND CITY ORDER LIMITSGATHERINGS TO 20PEOPLE AND REQUIRESBARS CLOSE AT 10 ANDSTOP SERVING ALCOHOLAT 9.ON CAMPUS - MIZZOU HASSIMILAR POLICIES AND AMASK MANDATE.AS OF MONDAY - THEREARE 415 ACTIVE CASES ONCAMPUS - AN INCREASEFROM 306 FRIDAY.JONI OSWALD, MIZZOUSOPHOMORE"It's kind of a scary thing."SOPHOMORE JONIOSWALD TELLS ME SHE'SNOT ENTIRELY SUPRISED.JONI OSWALD, MIZZOUSOPHOMOR"The numbers are shockingwhen you first hear them in allhonesty, but I kind of expectedwhenever they announcedthey announced we are goingto go back to campus, and weare going to have these inperson classes."AFTER THIS WEEKEND - ASPOKESPERSON SAYS THEUNIVERSITY IS WORKINGON INCREASING CONTACTTRACING EFFORTS.IT'S ALSO MOVING AROUNDSTAFF TO PROVIDE MORESUPPORT TO STUDENTSWHO TEST POSITIVE -WHETHER THAT BEHELPING THEM FIND A WAYTO ISOLATE PROPERLY ORCONTACTING THEIRPROFESSORS.IN KANSAS CITY, EMMAJAMES, 41 ACTION NEW