Missouri records sixth case of the coronavirus

Gov. Mike Parson speaks during a March 12, 2020 news conference in St. Louis after a woman who recently traveled to Italy became Missouri's first confirmed coronavirus case.

AP photo

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gov. Mike Parson has announced a sixth case of the coronavirus in the state, this one in Green County in southwest Missouri.

Parson said in a Monday morning tweet that 170 people have been tested for COVID-19 so far in the state, with 164 testing negative.

Parson on Sunday strongly encouraged the cancellation or suspension of public events with more than 50 people following federal health officials' recommendations that those events be halted in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Kansas City and St. Louis area officials said they were banning events with over 50 people for eight weeks following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation Sunday evening. St. Louis area leaders also recommended that all K-12 schools close at least by Wednesday until further notice.

St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said in a tweet that officials from the city of St. Louis, St. Louis and St. Charles counties, and St. Clair and Madison Counties in Illinois are considering whether to require the mandatory closure of bars, restaurants and nightclubs, and expect to make a decision soon.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the WHO, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.