Butler County sees 19th COVID-19 positive case; Dunklin County reports first death

Butler County now has 19 confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to information released Wednesday afternoon by the county’s health department.

Dunklin County officials announced its first death in the county related to the coronavirus.

Butler County’s first positive case of COVID-19 was recorded March 31.

The county’s largest single-day number of new patients was Friday, when five were reported.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reports a total of 4,895 positive cases in the state, with 147 deaths. The numbers likely are slightly higher because the website has experienced some lag in updates.

Meanwhile, health officials continue to stress the importance of social distancing to help curb the spread of the virus.