The Taney County Health Department says there have been nine new cases of COVID-19 in the county since Friday. That brings the total so far to 24 cases. According to the department, four of the latest cases are considered to be community spread. One is a close contact of a previous confirmed case. The rest are undetermined but are not linked to previous cases.
The department announced potential COVID-19 exposures by some of those who tested positive. They were at the Hollister Summer School June 3 through 12 and were unmasked. A person with the illness also went to Walmart on Highway 76 on June 3 between 5 and 6 p.m. without a mask, to the Phillip 66 Gas Station in Walnut Shade around 9 a.m. June 3 with a mask on and Hyvee in Springfield June 3 around mid-morning while wearing a mask and gloves.
Another positive individual was at the State of the Ozarks Farmer’s Market in Hollister June 9 from noon to 7 p.m. without a mask, and on June 10 they were at the Walmart on Branson Hills Parkway mid-morning and at the Branson Post Office mid-morning unmasked.
On June 7, another person with COVID-19 went to the Home Depot around 2:45 for 15 minutes while unmasked, Target from 3 to 3:15 with a mask on and Walmart on Branson Hills Parkway from 3:30 to 4:15 while wearing a mask. They also were at Starbucks at Target for 15 minutes at 11 a.m. June 8 while masked.
Anyone at those locations on those dates should watch for symptoms and contact a healthcare provider if any develop.
Joplin is also seeing a jump in COVID-19 cases. According to the Joplin Health Department, there have been eight new cases confirmed there for a total of 37 so far in the city.
Seven of the cases are adults and one is a youth, according to the health department. There is no known recent travel with the latest cases, and five of them appear to be community acquired. The rest are contacts of a previous known positive cases.
