Greg Laura, the county’s health director, made the following statement addressing Gasconade County Fair Association members Thursday.

“We don’t want someone coming here that’s ill and as they start mingling with the crowds, standing in line for the events,” said Lara. “There is a possibility that they may potentially pass on the COVID virus. From what we are hearing now-days it seems like there is a lot of information out that most of the virus is spread through aerosolization, people talking, singing, yelling, laughing that kind of stuff. Not that we don’t want people laughing and having fun, that’s all part of the fair. But those are ways, if you maintain social distancing, to try to prevent to mitigate the spread of the virus.

“I am sure everyone has heard today, our news today in our county, we had a positive case in that was confirmed today,” he continued. “We are in the process now, and I am sure people are going to have questions about that, and I want to come out and kinda address that in front of this group too. We can’t talk about who they are, where they live or anything along that line. But all we know is we are going through the investigation process, notifying close contacts with whoever that individual was and making sure they are isolating or quarantining themselves at home and any other contacts they might have.”

Another positive case from the area was announced Friday and by Sunday, Lara’s department had announced the third and fourth confirmed COVID-19 cases in a week. The county had only two previously announced positive cases. Both of those were referred to as recovered.