Positivity rate rises in Doniphan County

We've been reporting the coronavirus pandemic is beginning to have more of an impact on missouri's rural areas -- and missouri health officials have noticed it, too... now we're hearing from the kansas side of the state line.

Kq2's ron johnson spoke with an official from the doniphan county health department.

He's here now in-studio with more about how the department is battling it's spread.

Ron...bob, doniphan county's health administrator says they're tracking 17 active cases of covid-19 in the county, but it's the positivity rate there that's got her attention.

That rate we're told is tracked every two weeks in the county, last month we're told it was a little more than 7 percent.

Now, that number has trippled.

Their positivity rate at last check sits at 21 percent which is considered high.

She hopes this serves as a reminder to people to take the virus seriously and take those all too familiar precautions.

(sot ) "hopefully we can slow this positivity rate down a litle bit, by doing more outdoor activities you know we're able to spread out a little bit more in these rural areas.

We really are asking that people wear their masks, do their social distancing and their good hand hygiene as much as possible."

Another figure the health administrator expressed concern with is the amount of elderly people in doniphan county, she says they make up 30% of the total population.

You can schedule a test for covid-19 at the doniphan county health department monday through friday, staff ask you call them before noon.

They're also urges people to get the flu shot this year as well in hopes of avoiding the posibility of a twindemic.

Live in the studio ron johnson kq2 news.

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