KSMU Coronavirus Coverage

Greene County health officials on Friday said two recent inviduals who tested positive for COVID-19 visited public places, potentially exposing others to the novel coronavirus that causes the disease.

Springfield-Greene County Health Department director Clay Goddard said while the risk to individuals who were at these locations remains low, they should monitor their health for symptoms:

In its first round of grants to nonprofit agencies affected by the coronavirus pandemic, the Community Foundation of the Ozarks awarded nearly $100,000 on Friday.

The grants are targeted toward agencies serving the region’s most vulnerable citizens throughout the CFO’s 58-county service region, according to a news release from CFO. 

Since public gatherings of 10 or more people are banned in Missouri, many nonprofits have had to cancel fundraisers—while at the same time increasing their services to those in need.

Some cities in the Ozarks are facing sewage backups because residents are flushing non-toilet paper products down the toilet. This comes as more people are staying home—and many are also cleaning with sanitizing wipes and paper towels. 

The cities of West Plains and Mountain Grove are reporting more non-toilet paper products in their sewer systems.

You won’t be able to float, hike, camp or take part in any other recreational activities at the Buffalo National River in Arkansas in the near future.   The park is now closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.  That closure includes the river, trails, open spaces and campgrounds. 

Buffalo National River spokesperson, Cassie Branstetter, said it was a decision that wasn’t made lightly.

  What do you do during a stay-at-home order if you don't have a home to go to?  In Springfield, Victory Mission offers emergency shelter for homeless men. And as the coronavirus transforms life in Greene County, it and other shelters are getting creative as they try to stay open and safe. This is the story of one local homeless man navigating that process.

For Eric West, things were finally starting to look up a few weeks ago.  He had a new job as a cook at a Springfield hotel and he was even able to put some money away for savings, he said.

With so many children out of school due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ozarks Public Television has begun broadcasting a new, over-the-air educational channel so that high-quality learning can continue at home. The free programming will serve viewers across the Ozarks region, including the many families who do not have internet access or computers at home.

OPT's WORLD Channel is for students in grades 6-12, and it is now airing from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. locally on weekdays.

Springfield-based humanitarian relief organization Convoy of Hope is known for its large-scale operations.  For example, it sent out 60 tractor trailers of mostly food and paper products across the United States last week alone in response to the coronavirus pandemic. But the charity is also remembering rural towns closer to home, too.

Carl Long is a pastor and the mayor of Humansville, Missouri, in Polk County.

State parks in Missouri will be closed as of 5 p.m. Thursday, April 2, to address overcrowding as the coronavirus continues to spread in the state.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources plans to close Castlewood, Elephant Rocks, Watkins Woolen Mill and Weston Bend State Parks.  St. Joe State Park will close the off-road vehicle riding area.

The closures will last until April 30.

Missouri DNR director, Carol Comer, said, as conditions and recommendations change, they’ll make additional closures as needed. 

It's been nearly three weeks since Greene County, Missouri reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case.  As of Tuesday, health officials have confirmed 50 positive cases in the county.

Springfield-Greene County Health Department Director Clay Goddard told Springfield City Council Tuesday in analyzing the county's cases on a time series graph—graphing the positive cases based on the date of the onset of symptoms—he can see that the increase in daily confirmed cases remains a relatively straight line.