May 31, 2022

Even though COVID cases are currently rising, Macon County continues to maintain low levels in relationship to our county population.

February 2 – March 1             144 cases

March 2 – March 29                 41 cases

March 30 – April 26                    7 cases

April 27 – May 24                      26 cases

Since May 25 we have had 10 additional cases reported and one resident has been recently hospitalized.  Testing remains important if not feeling well, as does keeping distance to prevent spreading illness until the symptoms pass.  Additional free at-home, Rapid COVID-19 Tests are available through https://www.covid.gov/tests.  Households can now order an additional eight free at-home tests.  For people who have difficulty accessing the internet or need additional support placing an order can call: 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) to get help in English or Spanish.

Residents who have passed where COVID-19 was listed as a contributing factor to death:

2020                22 deaths recorded

2021                26 deaths recorded

2022 to date   16 deaths recorded

For a more in-depth review of our county’s data, the CDC’s COVID data tracker can be accessed at https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home.  Even though our county’s cases are low, COVID-19 continues to cause serious health problems in some residents.  People continue to fight the health effects of COVID-19 in their homes.  People continue to remain hospitalized due to COVID-19.  People continue to have COVID-19 listed as a contributing factor in the death.

Vaccines play an important role in slowing the spread of COVID-19 and lessoning COVID-related health conditions.  Macon County Health Department offers COVID-19 vaccination clinics weekly for Pfizer and Moderna, and, pediatric Pfizer.  Call for an appointment at 660-395-4711 or request an appointment online.

Northwest Macon County Health & Wellness Clinic – Thursday, May 12^th from 8:30-10:30 am at the Elmer Community Center.

We will be offering free cholesterol and blood sugar screenings ($20 value), COVID-19 vaccines, vital sign checks, and flu vaccines.  We will also bring pneumonia and shingles vaccines for those who call ahead.

We hope to see you there!

April 12, 2022

The State of Missouri recently announced we are transitioning from a pandemic response to an endemic phase of COVID-19.  This change to endemic does not mean the end of COVID-19; it means that the disease is here to stay, and, that we have the resources to manage the disease in our daily lives.  These resources are meant to keep Missourians safe and healthy.

The change to an endemic phase, however, means changes to the state’s surveillance from monitoring daily cases to monitoring the disease severity and its impact in our community.  When we are notified by the testing sites, the Macon County Health Department will continue to contact those who test positive to support them during their time of illness and provide them the resources they need to be healthy.  We will also continue to provide awareness, guidance and vaccines to contain the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

Due to the change in surveillance data from the state and reporting changes to DHSS, the Macon County Health Department will no longer report weekly data as we have been for the past two years.  DHSS’ new change in reporting will no longer provide detailed data on a county level.  In order to keep our community aware, we plan to provide awareness and guidance if there is an outbreak of COVID-19 in Macon County.

COVID-19 continues to have a significant health effect on certain residents in our community.  Testing for COVID-19, at home or at a facility, continues to be important so individuals are aware they are positive, they can take the necessary precautions to avoid spreading COVID-19 to others.  We continue to recommend everyone stay home when they are sick, apart from household members, according to the CDC guidelines.

Vaccination against COVID-19 helps protect individuals against severe illness and hospitalization due to COVID-19.  With the change to the endemic, we accept that COVID-19 will continue to circulate, but with vaccination, it can reduce the burden of illness to keep your family healthy.

January 19, 2022

Due to the increase in positive COVID-19 cases, we are a few days behind in calling individuals.  We are continuing to call, but it might take a few days.

If you test positive for COVID-19, you need to go home, try to isolate yourself from others in the household (if possible), and treat the symptoms.  If you have any medical concerns, please contact a healthcare provider, urgent care, or the hospital.

Current CDC guidelines state if you test positive, to stay home for 5 days after the start of symptoms (or from the day you tested positive if asymptomatic).  Day 0 is the day your symptoms started or the day you tested positive if asymptomatic.  After those 5 days, if your symptoms are resolving and you are fever free, you can leave but need to wear a well-fitting mask for an additional 5 days.  If you cannot wear a well-fitting mask, stay home for a full 10 days.

If you are a close contact to someone who tests positive, below are guidelines to help you determine best practices to watch for symptoms and to avoid spreading illness to others.

With the drastic increase in cases, we suggest everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear a well-fitting mask, avoid large gatherings, stay home when sick except to seek medical care, and social distance when around others.  Vaccination remains an important tool to help reduce severe illness and hospitalization due to COVID-19.

We are working hard and appreciate your patience.  If you have any questions, please give us a call at 660-395-4711