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News covering policy and issues related to city and county governments in the Ozarks.

To Prevent Coronavirus, Officials Restrict Visitors To Hospitals, Health Facilities

Scott Harvey
/
KSMU
Under the new budget, the Greene County Health Department's Vaccine Immunization Program will be cut by nearly $78,000/Credit:

To fight the spread of COVID-19, Greene County is implementing visitor restrictions to hospitals and health care facilities.

Children 12 and under, as well as anyone who is sick, will not be allowed in Greene County hospitals and health care facilities unless they are seeking care. That policy is now in effect, according to county officials.

Clay Goddard, Director of the Greene County Health Department, compares these restrictions to those taken during a tough flu season.

“So when we make these recommendations it’s with the utmost caution in mind. Additionally, those kids could just as easily be carrying influenza. And so it’s just a best practice in a situation where you have respiratory illness occurring in your community," Goddard said.

On Monday, the Greene County Health Department advised anyone over the age of 60 and those with diabetes, cancer, or heart and lung disease to stay home as much as possible and consider new ways to get food and supplies brought to your home.

So far, there have been no discovered cases of COVID-19 in Greene County.  A woman in St. Louis County tested positive for the coronavirus days ago and is in quarantine.