COVID BRIEFING for April 16: Gov. Parson extends stay-at-home order until May 3

Editor's note: This is a daily briefing updating the latest information on the COVID-19 pandemic at 4 p.m. each day.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced Thursday that the statewide stay-at-home order will be extended to May 3.

"People are going to go back to work on May the fourth," Parson said.

The state number of positive tests for COVID-19 reached 5,000 Thursday while five deaths were reported to bring the total to 152.

Since the start of Parson's statewide order on April 6, the number of new cases of the coronavirus has decreased from 355 that day to 216 on Thursday.

"We are seeing very early signs in the data that lead us to be cautiously optimistic that we're beginning to slow the course of the infection and see improvements across Missouri, even in our hardest hit areas like St. Louis and Kansas City," Parson said.

Locally, the number of new cases of the virus is on the rise. Butler County health officials announced a 20th positive test for COVID-19 Thursday. Dunklin County reported its first death linked to the virus Wednesday and announced a second death Thursday.

Meanwhile, the number of unemployed Missourians in the last month reached 339,917. Nearly 22 million Americans have requested unemployment benefits, by far the worst number of U.S. job losses on record, the Associated Press reports.

"I understand that social distancing has caused significant sacrifices on the part of Missourians," Parson said. "As I've said before, this is a time when we must all make sacrifices. And I am so proud of the people in Missouri. Because of you, we have improved the predictions for COVID-19 in our state."

The governor's plan to reopen the state rests on four "essential pillars" to expand testing capacity, expand reserves of personal protection equipment, monitor the numbers at the local level to predict potential outbreaks and expand hospital and health care system's capacity, including alternate care facilities like one that opened this week in a St. Louis area hotel.

"So we can prepare to reopen the economy and get Missourians back to work," Parson said. "Between now and May 4, we will continue to monitor the situation and work with Missouri hospitals, health care providers, public health experts, business leaders and state departments to develop a plan. With the safety of Missourians at its core, our approach will be deliberate and data driven."

The number of tests available will be the first hurdle.

Currently, Parson said, the state is around 3,000 tests a day with more in the private sector. The goal is to reach 10,000 tests a day, he said.

The Butler County Health Department said Thursday that at least 513 county residents have been tested for COVID-19 in total. Health care providers are not required by law to report pending or negative tests to the department, so the total number is not known, said Amanda Fitzwater with the health department.

That means less than 2% of the county's population has been tested for a virus that does not cause symptoms in some infected people.

"We're looking at ways to get more testing and I think you're going to see testing jump up to a significant amount," Parson said.

The Associated Press reported that Kansas City's stay-at-home order will remain effective until May 15 while St. Louis City and County are extending their orders indefinitely with a re-evaluation in mid-May. Those orders require residents to stay at home except for essential activities such as buying groceries or seeking medical care and were put in place before Parson's statewide order on April 6.

The St. Louis metropolitan area accounts for half of the state's number of positive cases. Of the 152 deaths in the state, 98 have been reported in the St. Louis area.

The first positive case of COVID-19 was reported in St. Louis on March 7.

"The numbers were projected to be much worse in Missouri," Parson said.

The number of cases in Missouri rose by 4.23% (Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering, which has been tracking cases worldwide, said the number of cases in the state rose 358, or 7.5%). A week ago it was at 6.8%.

Butler County officials said Thursday before the governor's announcement they would follow Parson's guidelines.

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COVID COVERAGE:

A look at stories you might have missed from the DAR:

• Butler County cases of COVID-19 now at 20 • Wondering how to stay safe at the grocery store? Here are some tips

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3 THINGS FROM THE AP:

A look at three stories from the Associated Press:

• Owner: Nursing home where bodies found was overwhelmed • US job losses mount as economic pain deepens worldwide • Pandemic provokes spike in demand for food pantries Latest coverage from AP.

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LATEST NUMBERS

As of 2 p.m. Thursday, April 16:

US DEATHS: 26,708 Mo. Deaths: 152 (+5) Mo. Cases: 5,111 (+216)

Cases by area county: Butler County: 20 Carter: 3 (1 death) Dunklin: 18 (1 death) Stoddard: 13 Ripley: 3 Reynolds: 2 Wayne: 0 Perry: 38 Cape: 33 (1 death) Scott: 41 St. Francois: 23 (1 death) New Madrid: 8 Pemiscot: 11 Bollinger: 3 Madison: 1

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SHOULD I WEAR A MASK?

Cloth face coverings are recommended for everyone by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Do not use surgical masks or N95 masks. Those are critical supplies needed for health care workers and first responders.

Be sure that the face covering "fits snugly but comfortably against the side of the face; secured with ties or ear loops; include multiple layers of fabric; allow for breathing without restriction; be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape." (CDC)

Instructions for sewn cloth face coverings can be found here.

Don't know how to sew? Click here to watch a short video on how to make a face covering.

To donate masks in Butler County, text or call 573-714-4197. Someone will come pick up the masks and distribute them where needed.

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WHAT IS COVID-19?

From the AP: For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.

Here are the symptoms of the virus compared with the common flu.

One of the best ways to prevent spread of the virus is washing your hands with soap and water. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends first washing with warm or cold water and then lathering soap for 20 seconds to get it on the backs of hands, between fingers and under fingernails before rinsing off.

You should wash your phone, too. Here’s how.

The Missouri coronavirus information hotline is 877-435-8411.

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