COVID cases increase in Butler County

AP File

The number of current COVID-19 cases in Butler County more than doubled this week. The amount jumped from 43 last week to 90 this week.

The county public health department made the announcement Wednesday. There are currently 96 active cases in the county, with the total since March 2020 standing at 4,773. One case of the Delta variant was announced last week.

“Get your COVID vaccination if you can; if not, continue to wear a mask and practice social distancing,” said Butler County Health Department Administrator Emily Goodin.

Butler County Emergency Management Director Robbie Myers said, “We definitely are seeing some upticks in both Missouri and Arkansas with, particularly, what is being experienced in southwest Missouri.”

Myers is working with “our state partners, the Missouri Hospital Association and some others.”

He stressed everyone “use more caution. I believe we’ll see an uptick on our phone calls and information flowing again.”

He’ll not be surprised that “we’ll be working with our media partners, like we did through the past year, to get that information to the public. With the uptick in the Delta variant, we’ll be seeing more information flow, so we could share it and we can continue to be transparent with the public.”

According to a variety of news agencies, a third of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are coming from five hot spotshot spots: Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri and Nevada.

Health officials said, “Recent outbreaks around the state have shown the importance of vaccination and continuing safety measures. After seeing a steady decline in cases following the vaccine rollout, COVID-19 cases have been increasing in the state over the past few weeks.”

Increasing the vaccination rate among Missourians will be key to stopping the spread of COVID-19 during the summer months and beyond, officials said.

Children as young as 12 are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Registering through local health departments, the Missouri Vaccine Navigator or contacting the Missouri COVID-19 hotline at 877-435-8411 can help Missourians identify and sign up for available appointments in their area.

Scheduled rapid testing will be done every Wednesday by appointment only in Butler County. To schedule a test, go to https://www.butlercountyhealth.org/. Look for “Vaccine Registration & Coronavirus Info” and click the “Book Now” icon, or call 877-435-8411 to set up your appointment.

Viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time, officials report. This variant is highly transmissible and is causing more serious illness and hospitalizations among those who have not been vaccinated. Vaccination is the most effective and long-lasting tool for protection

Most of the rising cases in the state have been attributed to the now dominant Delta variant, which is believed to be more transmissible.