COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

The City of St. Joseph Health Department continues to make COVID-19 vaccinations available for those aged 6 months and older, monitor COVID-19-related data, and remain ready to increase our response efforts should the situation warrant. We recommend citizens stay up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters. 

COVID-19 data is updated on Fridays for the previous week and on the first day of the month to update the previous month summary. The City of St. Joseph continues to closely monitor updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) regarding COVID-19. 

BUCHANAN COUNTY COVID-19 UPDATE


COVID-19 CASES REPORTED04/22/23 - 04/28/2325
10-DAY MOVING AVERAGE04/19/23 - 04/28/233.9
14-DAY MOVING AVERAGE04/15/23 - 04/28/23
3.5
CASES REPORTED IN APRIL 202304/01/23 - 04/30/23117
TOTAL CASES REPORTED03/23/20 - 04/30/2330,897


COVID thru 04-2023


MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SENIOR SERVICES  

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) COVID-19 hotline, 877-435-8411, is open 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Find Missouri testing options or go to vaccine.gov for additional vaccine options; you may also call the hotline for testing and vaccine information. Citizens can also find current COVID-19 information on the DHSS website.  

VACCINE 

In Missouri, anyone who meets age and medical eligibility is able to receive a vaccine. The City of St. Joseph Health Department clinic offers Pfizer brand vaccine 8:00 -11:00 a.m. and 1:00 - 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Vaccine may also be available at your primary care provider, area pharmacies, or at vaccine.gov .

The federal government continues to test the COVID-19 vaccine to ensure safety and open up the opportunity for more people to get vaccinated. The goal of public health is to protect communities and the best way to do that with regard to coronavirus is to vaccinate as many people as possible. For further review, we advise using reliable resources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or Health and Human Services (HHS). 

COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can help protect your child from getting COVID-19, and also help keep your child from getting seriously sick even if they do get COVID-19. Help protect your whole family by getting yourself and your eligible children vaccinated against COVID-19.

COVID-19 ILLNESS 

COVID-19 is still making people sick in our community. When someone gets sick with coronavirus, it is very important to follow established guidelines to reduce the spread of the virus. If you develop symptoms of COVID-19, it is important to test for the presence of the virus and to isolate from others until you get test results (whether you take a home test or at a clinic/testing site). If your test is positive, you have COVID-19 and you should stay home and away from others, even people within your house. Contact your primary care provider about treatment options; and if you took a home test, notify them of your positive test result. Only leave home for medical care. Notify anyone you were around in the two days prior to feeling sick so they can watch for symptoms in themselves. Monitor your symptoms and seek medical care if your symptoms worsen, especially respiratory (breathing) issues. Look for emergency warning signs* for COVID-19 and if someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:

*Trouble breathing

*Persistent pain or pressure in the chest

*New confusion

*Inability to wake or stay awake

*Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone

*This list is not all possible symptoms. Please call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you. Call 911 or call ahead to your local emergency facility: Notify the operator that you are seeking care for someone who has or may have COVID-19.

Deciding when you can be around others is different for different situations. Find out when you can safely end home isolation.

The CDC website has detailed instructions for those who are sick with COVID-19. 

The positive case is responsible for calling people they may have exposed during the time they are considered to be contagious. 

SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19

Symptoms of COVID-19 may appear 2-14 days after exposure and include:

  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fever and/or chills
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle pain
  • Headache
  • Sore throat
  • New loss of taste and/or smell
  • Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea
  • Children have similar symptoms though generally milder illness
  • This list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

  • Get vaccinated! Contact your medical provider, pharmacy, check online for vaccine availability, or contact the Health Department.
  • Stay home - physical distancing and sheltering in place will stop the spread if universally enacted.
  • Wash hands - use soap and water, scrub thoroughly and use separate towels. If soap and water are unavailable, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol or containing a sanitizing agent.
  • Wear a cloth face covering when in public.
  • Keep your distance from others when in public - six feet of space is recommended.
  • Cover coughs and sneezes to protect those around you.
  • Do not touch your face.
  • Disinfect surfaces. This is a new virus, and as such, not everything is known about how it spreads or how long it can live outside a host body. Preliminary findings suggest that in some circumstances, the virus can live for several days on some surfaces (https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/new-coronavirus-stable-hours-surfaces).
  • CALL your physician’s office if you feel ill and think you have contracted COVID-19. If you experience severe respiratory distress, call for an ambulance and describe your symptoms and that you suspect COVID-19.
  • Additional guidance can be found here

COVID-19 Fact Sheets:

Additional Sites for trusted information include:

City of St. Joseph Health Department Emergency Preparedness

The City of St. Joseph Health Department is in regular contact with regional healthcare providers, communicable disease and infection control specialists, and emergency preparedness and response personnel. Should concerns develop with regional impact, these partnerships will prove to be an invaluable asset in information sharing and response to protect the public. The City Council and Mayor are making decisions to protect our community. Additional updates to these actions can be found on the city’s website.

The Senate passed a multibillion-dollar emergency aid package to confront the economic impacts of the coronavirus. Businesses and individuals wishing to learn more about assistance should visit benefits.gov.

PRESS RELEASES