HEALTH ALERT Issued in Knox County

Knox County Health Department Issues Countwide Health Alert

Knox County, MO – Monday, August 10, 2020 – Health department officials are alerting the public to high risk for Covid-19 transmission.  As cases have grown to 32 confirmed, 9 probable, 21 active, 3 hospitalized, and pages of close contacts—individuals of the county must return to practices utilized in April/May 2020 if we are to slow the spread and protect the most vulnerable of our population.  In the absence of state and local orders, this return to precaution is a request and a suggestion by public health officials, and compliance is a gesture of good will toward your neighbors and trust in the local public health system.

Starting now, we request that the community utilize the following practices:

• Stay home as much as possible (this may mean inside or outside).
• Conduct as much of your business as possible by phone, drive through or online.
• When eating out consider drive through, take out or curbside delivery.
• Maintain physical distance of a minimum of 6ft between you and all those outside your household, utilize phone and online methods when checking on high risk individuals.
• Wear face masks when in public places.
• Avoid touching your mouth, nose or eyes with unwashed hands.
• Wash your hands multiple times a day.
• Carry hand sanitizer when access to handwashing is limited.
• Avoid gatherings of multiple households.
• Postpone gatherings of multiple households (ex. Birthday parties/celebrations/meetings).
• Get plenty of sleep.
• Pursue a healthy diet.
• Participate in physical activity.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• If symptomatic consider testing for Covid-19.

Symptoms of Covid-19 may include any of the following:

• Cough, Shortness of Breath, Difficulty Breathing
• Fever or chills
• Headache or Muscle Aches.
• Nausea, Vomiting or Diarrhea
• New Loss of Taste or Smell

Testing for Covid-19 does not change self-quarantine suggestions, but may indicate need for isolation and further contact tracing if positive result is found.  Currently if you are a first line contact of a positive case public health requests you self-quarantine for 14 days and avoid contact with anyone outside your household (essential workers should talk with their employers to see if there are protocols in place that allow for going to work, and those protocols should always involve mask wearing and distancing).  Should symptoms arise, notify public health and consider testing.

Anyone that is positive case, or close contact of a positive case, should always notify ems, 911 and all other health care providers of Covid-19 status prior to service.  Finally, confirmed and probable Covid-19 cases should never try to “tough it out”.  Make sure your health care providers are aware of your status, and at anytime you feel uncomfortable with your status seek treatment.  Although many will recover from Covid-19 without complication, we are beginning to see what those around the country and state have been seeing for months—this virus can be very hard on individuals, particularly with pre existing conditions and advanced age.

In the days to come the health department will be reaching out to businesses and organizations to encourage enhanced precaution for both employees and clients.  Together with community engagement we will slow the spread and we will prevent death related to covid-19 in Knox County.

For more information regarding Covid-19 please reach out to the local health department at 660.397.3396.

Knox County Business and Organization Covid-19 Alert

Knox County, Missouri – Monday, August 10, 2020 – Health department officials are alerting local businesses and organizations (ex. Churches, clubs, etc.) that there is high risk for Covid-19 transmission at this time.  As cases have grown to 32 confirmed, 9 probable, 21 active, 3 hospitalized, and pages of close contacts—individuals of the county must return to practices utilized in April/May 2020 if we are to slow the spread and protect the most vulnerable of our population.  In the absence of state and local orders, this return to precaution is a request and a suggestion by public health officials:

Starting now, we request that t businesses and organizations utilize the following practices:

• Consider work/participation from home options, increased distancing in the work place, drive up and phone in services, on-line participation methods, etc.
• We’d encourage restaurants and food service establishments to return to as many of the protective policies utilized in April/May 2020 as possible (including distancing/eliminated community seating, eliminating self-service items, etc)—again this is not an order, but a REQUEST.
• Maintain physical distance of a minimum of 6ft between you and all those you serve and make opportunities for clients/guests to have acceptable distancing between themselves as well.
• Mandate the use of face masks when in your establishment.
• Post handwashing, face mask and stay home if sick signs.
• Wash your hands multiple times a day.
• Make hand sanitizer accessible to employees and customers.
• Avoid special events that encourage the congregation of multiple households.
• Review sick leave policies and make sure employees/participants are aware of such policies.
• Conduct your internal risk assessment and eliminate as many avenues for spreading of Covid-19 as possible.

Symptoms of Covid-19 may include any of the following:

• Cough, Shortness of Breath, Difficulty Breathing
• Fever or chills
• Headache or Muscle Aches.
• Nausea, Vomiting or Diarrhea
• New Loss of Taste or Smell

Testing for Covid-19 does not change self-quarantine suggestions, but may indicate need for isolation and further contact tracing if positive result is found.  Currently if you or yours are first line contacts of a positive case public health requests self-quarantining for 14 days and avoiding contact with anyone outside the household (essential employers should talk with their employees regarding protocols for Covid-19 positives and contacts).  Should symptoms arise, notify public health and consider testing.

The participation of businesses and organizations in the county will be necessary to slow the spread of Covid-19 and to prevent subsequent morbidity and mortality in Knox County.  We appreciate your willingness to conduct your internal risk assessments, make adjustments as necessary and welcome your calls at any time to discuss further planning.  Call us at 660.397.3396.

The above press releases were issued by the Knox County Health Department.