Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services

We have updated our business and sports guidance documents to reflect the recent changes in the Public Health Orders. You can review this guidance online at https://www.como.gov/coronavirus/business-guidance/

Boone County recorded 26 new COVID-19 cases today, March 4. There have been 17,494 total cases in the county, with 97 active cases. There are currently 23 COVID-19 patients in our local hospitals, 4 of which are Boone County residents. For more data, please visit the Information Hub: https://gocolumbiamo.maps.arcgis.com//MapSeries/index.html

¿Tiene preguntas o dudas sobre las vacunas de COVID-19? Asista a nuestra charla para tener una conversación abierta con un panel de doctores y enfermeras bilingües. Haga las preguntas que desee y háganos saber cómo podemos servirle mejor.

Pregnant people are at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. If you are pregnant, you may choose to be vaccinated when it’s available to you. If y...ou have questions about getting COVID-19 vaccination, talking with your healthcare provider may help you make an informed decision. CDC encourages pregnant people who receive a COVID-19 vaccine to participate in v-safe. V-safe is a smartphone-based tool that lets people tell CDC how they feel after vaccination. V-safe also reminds people to get their second dose of vaccine, if needed. Learn more: https://bit.ly/2WWh9hT.

Are you currently eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine? MU Health Care has vaccine appointments available! After emailing all eligible survey respondents, they still have appointment spots available for this week, so they are opening up appointments on a first come, first served basis for those in Phases 1A and 1B, tiers 1 and 2. That includes people who are 65 and older and higher risk individuals. Please share with others you know who may qualify!

Boone County recorded 7 new COVID-19 cases today, March 3. There have been 17,468 total cases in the county, with 86 active cases. There are currently 28 COVID-19 patients in our local hospitals, 3 of which are Boone County residents. For more data, please visit the Information Hub: https://gocolumbiamo.maps.arcgis.com//MapSeries/index.html

Boone County recorded 93 new COVID-19 cases today, December 28. There have been 13,470 total cases in the county to date, with 686 active cases. We are sad to report that one death was recorded today, bringing the total to 53. The individual was in the 80+ age group. For more data, please visit the Information Hub: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html

Is your vehicle winter weather ready? As we head into possible winter weather it's important to stay safe and healthy by planning ahead. You can learn more about winter weather safety here: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/features/winterweather/index.html

Boone Hospital began administering COVID-19 vaccines to their employees this week. We thank them for continuing to protect our community!

The Information Hub has been updated with the case numbers from the weekend. There have been 13,377 total cases in the county, with 940 active cases. There were 98 new cases recorded on Saturday, December 26, and 57 new cases recorded on Sunday, December 27. For more data, please visit the Information Hub: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html

Thank you to this COVID Crusher, Daniel Boone Regional Library for helping keep our community as safe as possible during the pandemic! Check out what some community members had to say about the Daniel Boone Regional Library below. "The library is dedicated to ensuring the health and safety of everyone in the building from strictly enforcing mask usage, quarantining all returns, and providing alternative services for those unable to come into the building." DBRL has done dili...gent cleaning, no contact curbside pickup, limits visits to 30 min., and provides online resources The public library system has gone to extraordinary measures to keep everyone safe. Before you ever even enter the building in Columbia there is curbside pickup and great signage to "be kind and wear a mask." Entering the lobby, there's someone to remind you if you've forgotten your mask and even provide one for free if you don't have one along with more signage showing how to wear the masks. They are also trying to limit the amount of time people spend in the library while still meeting their needs. They have also done an amazing job keeping everything clean and wiped down. All materials returned have a four day quarantine. They have also increased their digital holdings so you can borrow books, movies, magazines and music from home. I know that everyone misses the events and programs but they have also done so much to meet those needs online and even offering wifi hot spots for checkout. There are recorded programs, fun take and make kits, and Zoom programs. In full disclosure, I work there part time but I feel incredibly safe as long as everyone follows the rules they have put in place. The management's and board's support for the staff has been fantastic. Do you know of a business, organization or individual in Boone County that exemplifies the recommendations for slowing the spread of COVID-19? If so, we want to hear about them! Let us know who in our community is doing a good job to decrease the risk of spreading the virus and tell us why they are a COVID Crusher! https://forms.gle/bczVA9xfLJLdzD1M8

We hope everyone has a happy and healthy holiday season! We were inspired by holiday music to write a little song of our own. Check out 'Stay at Home' (sung to the tune of Let It Snow) below. If you're looking for ways to make your holiday celebrations as safe as possible during the pandemic, read our Winter Holiday Guidance book here: https://www.como.gov//uploa/WinterHolidayGuidance_1214.pdf

Happy Kwanzaa to those in the community who are honoring the holiday! If you are attending gatherings, please remember to take the proper COVID precautions to keep our community safe.

Merry Christmas to those in the community who are honoring the holiday! If you are attending gatherings, please remember to take the proper COVID precautions to keep our community safe.

Boone County recorded 173 new COVID-19 cases today, December 17. There have been 12,427 total cases in the county to date, with 1,021 active cases. We are sad to report that 3 COVID-19 related deaths were recorded today. The individuals were in the 60-64, 75-79, and 80+ age groups. For more data, please visit the Information Hub: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html

The Public Health Orders for Columbia and Boone County have been extended through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. All COVID-19 protocols remain in place. "The fact that we have a safe and effective vaccine - there are shots being given to our frontline healthcare workers every day - is certainly a bright light at the end of the tunnel. But this pandemic is far from over," Director Stephanie Browning said. On Dec. 14, health care workers in Missouri began receiving the... first dosage of the coronavirus vaccine as part of the distribution plan established by the State of Missouri. This first phase of vaccine distribution includes long-term care facility residents and staff, and patient-facing health care workers. Because supply of the vaccine is so limited right now, however, it is imperative to continue all of the fact-based measures that are known to limit the spread of the pandemic. "We have to keep up these public health measures that protect our friends and family from the virus and help us return to normal sooner. Until a majority of people in our community have been vaccinated, we need to keep wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and avoid gathering with people we don’t live with. We know that’s hard during the holidays, but we all have to take personal responsibility to slow the spread of the pandemic so that we can return to a strong economy and normal day-to-day activities," said Browning. The number of new COVID-19 cases remain stable, but continues to be a strain on available resources. As of Dec. 16, the five-day average for new COVID-19 cases was 108. This remains elevated compared to the number of new cases recorded in late October, suggesting that current protocols should remain in place to further reduce the number of new infections. These cases could also be considered more severe than in previous months, given the increased number of COVID-19 related deaths Boone County has recorded in the last month. Additionally, Boone County hospitals remain in the ‘yellow’ zone status, so extending the current measures for an additional four weeks aims to ensure the capacity of local resources remains adequate to meet the anticipated need while the vaccine administration plans are implemented both locally and nationally. Read the full release here: https://www.como.gov/CMS/pressreleases/view.php

Boone County recorded 162 COVID-19 cases today, December 24. There have been 13,222 total cases in the county to date, with 954 currently active cases. Due to the holiday the 'Hospital Status' tab will not be updated until Dec. 28. Our offices will be closed tomorrow in observance of Christmas. The Info Hub update on Monday morning will list data from Friday, Dec. 25 - Sunday, Dec. 27. For more data, please visit the Information Hub: https://gocolumbiamo.maps.arcgis.com//MapSeries/index.html

Don't forget to change your clocks! Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 a.m. On Saturday night, set your clocks back one hour (i.e., gaining one hour) to fall back.

The first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Missouri this week and local health care workers have started to receive their vaccinations. One of our Health Educators sat down with our Medical Director, Dr. Ashley Millham to answer some of your vaccine-related questions. We will continue to keep our community updated with the latest information. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/W70du-gAGDU

Boone County recorded 81 new COVID-19 cases today, October 30. There have been 6,255 total cases in the county to date, with 449 of those being active. For more data, please visit the Information Hub: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html

Happy Halloween, Boone County! Drive-thru trick-or-treating is a low risk way to enjoy Halloween. Our guidance team has worked with numerous businesses and organizations to help ensure their events are as safe as possible during the pandemic. Here are a few of the drive-thru Halloween events that are taking place this weekend. To learn more about making your events/gatherings COVID Aware visit https://www.como.gov//busi/gatherings-events-and-seasonal/

Sadly we have learned of two additional COVID-19-related deaths of Boone County residents. Our community has lost one individual between the ages of 75-79 and an individual over the age of 80. We share our heartfelt condolences to all who knew them. A total of 43 COVID-19 related deaths recorded in Boone County. These deaths will be reflected on the Information Hub later this afternoon.

Boone County recorded 70 new COVID-19 cases today, October 29. There have been 6,174 total cases in the county to date, with 416 of those being active. Missouri DHSS is experiencing technical difficulties with their data reporting dashboard. For this reason, the Hub does not reflect updated cases for our catchment counties. We will update this when that information becomes available. For more data, please visit the Information Hub: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html

Sadly we have learned of an additional COVID-19-related death of a Boone County resident. Our community has lost an individual between the ages of 60-64. We share our heartfelt condolences to all who knew them. A total of 41 COVID-19 related deaths have been recorded in Boone County. This death will be reflected on the Information Hub this afternoon.

Boone County recorded 124 new COVID-19 cases today, December 16. There have been 12,254 total cases in the county to date, with 909 active cases. There are currently 130 COVID-19 patients in our local hospitals, 21 of which are Boone County residents. For more data, please visit the Information Hub: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html

A special thank you to Columbia STEM Alliance for their donation of face shields to Room at the Inn COMO! We'd like to take the time to recognize this effort in helping our community as we work together during the pandemic. Room at the Inn provides a warm and safe place to sleep during the winter months from 7PM to 7AM. Thank you to both organizations for your contributions to our community.

Did you know that you can still vote if you're in quarantine or isolation on Election Day? If you become infected or exposed after the mail-in deadline, you can request to absentee vote by November 2 at 5 p.m. and a bipartisan absentee team will come to your residence. Learn more at www.showmeboone.com/clerk/

Let us know what questions you have regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Our Medical Director, Dr. Ashley Millham, will answer your questions in a video we will share tomorrow afternoon.

RUMOR CONTROL: Only lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases are included in the total number of positive cases in Boone County. People who believe they may be positive, either due to symptoms or close contact, are not counted in the total number of positive cases unless they have a lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 test. Additionally, close contacts are not automatically counted as positive for COVID-19.

Boone County recorded 44 new COVID-19 cases today, October 28. There have been 6,104 total cases in the county to date, with 399 of those being active. Currently, there are 95 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in our local hospitals, 12 of which are Boone County residents. For more data, please visit the Information Hub: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html

Exciting news this morning! All three Boone County hospitals will begin vaccinating their staff this week as part of the first round of COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Join us in celebrating these health care heroes as we share these posts throughout the coming weeks! We will keep you updated about vaccine availability for other members of our community as we learn more.

Make sure to get your flu shot this season. This year is more important than ever because of the overlapping COVID-19 and flu season.

Boone County recorded 80 new COVID-19 cases today, December 15. There have been 12,130 total cases in the county to date, with 887 active cases. We are sad to report that two COVID-19 deaths were recorded today, bringing the total in the county to 40. The individuals were in the 65-69 and 80+ age groups. For more data, please visit the Information Hub: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html

How are you staying COVID Aware this Halloween? Here are a few tips to keep you and the little ones as safe as possible while enjoying the spooky season. https://youtu.be/XLA8Naqtblk

November and December are often filled with holiday celebrations, but they may look a little different this year because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. What holiday traditions would you like guidance on to stay COVID Aware this holiday season?

Boone County recorded 104 new COVID-19 cases today, October 27. There have been 6,060 total cases in the county, with 389 of those being active. For more data, please visit the Information Hub: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html

If you have tested positive for COVID-19, it's important to do your part and share your contacts that you may have exposed before quarantining. Here are some facts and tips related to sharing your contacts.

Election Day is coming up soon! Remember to be COVID aware when voting, and take the necessary precautions to keep our community healthy.

Boone County recorded 25 new COVID-19 cases today, October 26. There have been 5,956 total cases in the county, with 340 of those being active. For more data, please visit the Information Hub: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html