Additional mass testing events planned for Butler County

Butler County had 14 new COVID-19 cases announced Wednesday bringing the total number of positive cases to 1,315 since the beginning of the outbreak locally.

Butler County Health Department Director Emily Goodin explained to those attending the weekly COVID-19 briefing Wednesday the mass COVID-19 screenings are tagging quite a few people. A total of 448 were tested Wednesday.

Goodin said, four Butler County COVID-19 patients are hospitalized. There have been 13 deaths since the very beginning.

This is the second week for the mass testing at the health center and “there has been a steady line all morning starting around 6:30 a.m.,” Goodin said.

Goodin thanked “the Poplar Bluff Police Department for assisting and helping us with traffic control and the First Christian Church for letting us use their parking lot. They help control the traffic, as well.”

“We’re also doing another mass clinic next Wednesday, Oct. 28 at the health department,” she said.

The National Guard will also be doing COVID testing from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30 at Whiteley Park.

Butler County Emergency Management Agency Director Robbie Myers asked Goodin to explain the new graphic on the department’s Facebook page and website.

“We updated it showing compelling cases, active cases per month,” Goodin said. “It’s pretty neat. My favorite is the two week overview. You can see where we spiked up last week when we had our mass testing and then back down to our normal numbers. And we’ll probably see that again this week.”

Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center chief compliance officer Johnna Craft said, “we have COVID and regular patients. We are a little busy, but you know, we’re still seeing active impatient COVID cases.”

PBRMC did not release information Wednesday for the total number of COVID in patients at the facility, although the information has been shared at previous weekly briefings. The figures were not available as of press time Wednesday.

Craft said the hospital staff is working on messages for the public, from the hospital’s perspective, to help themselves for their own safety and efficiency.

“As soon as we have that ready, we’ll reach out to help communicate to the community.” she said. “I do appreciate the health department hosting these clinics. I think that helps with the persons who have concern or interest in seeing if they’re COVID positive. It helps that they’re seeking to get those through the health department. So we greatly appreciate that; health care is just tough right now.”

Myers added the drive-thru clinics provided by the health department or National Guard are so much more efficient, and safer for those getting tested, by not having to go into a crowded waiting room.

“Those tests are being provided at no cost to the person getting the test,” Myers said. “It’s more cost effective for the individual, and it’s much more efficient and safer.”

Craft agreed with Myers by saying, “people are ill when they come to the hospital. So whether it be COVID or anything else, you know you have exposure. So yes, the clinics help keep everyone safe.”

Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Chris Rushin had good news to share.

“We’re actually seeing an uptick in our enrollment and in our attendance,” Rushin said. “We’ve been pretty steady with an average daily attendance at 360. Over the last week, we’ve seen that increased to 381. We are continuing to work comparable with R-I and the health department with the contact tracing, running our protocols containing ourselves and reinforcing our mask a guideline for all of our employees.”