A 30th person tests positive for COVID-19 in Butler County

Butler County Health Department administrator Emily Goodin said an additional person tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center.

“We are just starting our contact tracing. Our number will be going up to 30. Other than that, we are waiting to see what the governor has in store for us, June 1,” Goodin said.

Butler County Director of Emergency Management Robbie Myers added that his best guess is that Missouri Gov. Mike Parson will announce Thursday his plans for the state.

Butler County’s first positive test for coronavirus was March 31. Wednesday’s case is the fourth coronavirus case in Butler County since businesses reopened.

Regionally, Stoddard County has 74 cases and five deaths, up from 51 cases and no deaths on May 17, after a recent outbreak at a care facility. Pemiscot County has reported similar numbers, with 76 cases and four deaths.

Dunklin County has reported 30 cases and two deaths. Carter County has reported five cases and one death. Ripley County has reported seven cases and no deaths. Reynolds County has reported two cases and no deaths and Wayne County has not reported a case.

As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, Missouri has reported 12,492 cases and 696 deaths.

Current state guidelines, which include maintaining social distancing and restaurants operating at a reduced capacity, expire Sunday while the current state of emergency runs through June 15.

At Wednesday’s emergency management meeting, it was also reported that since March 23, the club in coordination with Poplar Bluff R-1 School District and Chartwells had distributed 356,270 grab-and-go meals to area kids. That meal service will continue through June and in response to the closure of schools due to COVID-19.

On Friday alone, with Monday being a holiday, more than 18,000 meals were handed out, effectively feeding 1,500 individuals three meals per day from Friday through Monday, said Boys & Girls Club of Poplar Bluff CEO Chris Rushin.

The Boys & Girls Club is also in the process of notifying people selected for its Summer Learning Program, which runs from June 8 to July 2 with Poplar Bluff summer school starting July 6.

Rushin said the club received about 200 applications, but he currently thinks about 100 kids will be invited to attend the Summer Learning Program.

“Those notifications to people who are able to come will be going out before May 29,” Rushin said.