Gasconade R-2 confirms sixth positive case of COVID-19

From Staff Reports
Posted 9/23/20

A staff member at Owensville Middle School has tested positive for COVID-19, it was announced Monday. Additional cases were reported Tuesday (see page 6). According to a letter from Gasconade County …

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Gasconade R-2 confirms sixth positive case of COVID-19

Posted

A staff member at Owensville Middle School has tested positive for COVID-19, it was announced Monday. Additional cases were reported Tuesday (see page 6). According to a letter from Gasconade County R-2 Superintendent Dr. Chuck Garner, the staff member last attended school on Thursday, Sept. 17 and was not showing symptoms.

Working with the staff member, the health department determined that no other students or staff will be required to self-quarantine, therefore no further action is needed.

Including this most recent case, the district now has six positive cases, five staff members in quarantine and 80 students in quarantine.

The announcement came as the county’s death total from the virus reached 20 people. Dr. Michael Rothermich, medical director at Hermann Area District Hospital, provided these observations over the weekend. The test site at HADH “witnessed a significant decrease in total positive cases and collected tests for the second week in a row,” according to Rothermich.

He also noted the rate of positive testing also fell to only 6 percent, “which is the first week in nearly two months where our rate of positive testing has been near goal.”  He noted that health “experts suggest that if the rate of positive testing is at or below 5 percent, you are collecting enough samples to monitor the disease in your population.” Results in his graph include tests for residents of multiple counties.