Safety urged for holiday weekend

Butler County had one COVID death this week and 19 new cases, bringing the total cases in the county to 4,568, Butler County Health Department Director Emily Goodin announced Wednesday during the final weekly COVID briefing.

“I want to highlight we did have one new death reported to us yesterday, but doing a little bit more digging, our numbers are going to be a little off,” Goodin said. “There were 10 COVID-related deaths that occurred late last year and earlier this year of which we weren’t notified. Our total deaths are 57, but we only received one new death this week.”

As Memorial Day and the unofficial kickoff to summer approaches, many Missourians are wondering how COVID-19 will affect their summer plans. While there are positive signs of the possibility of a “new normal” in the near future, Goodin and other public health experts are encouraging Missourians to continue taking steps to keep themselves and their loved ones healthy.

“We are following the CDC guidelines at the health department,” Goodin said. “If you are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC guidance, you don’t have to wear a mask. Take proper precautions. People are smart, wash your hands. If you’re sick, stay home. If you feel sick, stay home. If you’re not vaccinated, and you go around people you’re normally not around, wear a mask. That’s going to be our message.”

Just over half of the adult population in Missouri has initiated their vaccination. Increasing the vaccination rate among Missourians will be key to the safe and successful reopening of communities and schools, public health experts said.

Registering through local health departments, the Missouri Vaccine Navigator or contacting the Missouri COVID-19 hotline at 877-435-8411 can help Missourians stay informed of available appointments in their area.

If you’re fully vaccinated, you can feel confident that you’re protected from COVID-19, officials said. “If you’re not fully vaccinated, it’s more important than ever to wear your mask to protect yourself and others.”

Despite changing guidelines and protocols, masks are still required in some settings and businesses – including health care settings, officials said They said to bring a mask when going out and be respectful if asked to wear one.

Missourians are encouraged to continue practicing safety measures while waiting for more people to get vaccinated, Goodin said

Look for less crowded outdoor recreation spots to practice physical distancing easily, officials advised

Goodin stressed, “we are doing vaccine clinics at the health department every Friday. We did have our last National Guard clinic last week at the Elks Lodge. The National Guard is on stand down right now. So, they’ll actually be doing something different come June 1. We’re going to urge people to make an appointment. However, we will do walk ins.”

Since the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for children 12 and up, Goodin has reached out to all schools to see if they are interested in doing any COVID clinics for adolescents.

“I’m waiting to hear back to see what the school administration have to say on what they want to do and when they want to do it,” Goodin said.

Butler County Emergency Management Agency Director Robbie Myers said the weekly briefings are going to pause.

“We’re still in a federal- and state-declared state of emergency, so the Emergency Operations Center will stay operational,” Myers said. “At any time we need to make calls, we’ll notify our partner list again. I think this is the natural time to put a pause on the briefings we’ve been having since March of last year.”