Jul 03, 2020

No mask mandate for St. Joseph, yet; numbers up in Buchanan County

Posted Jul 03, 2020 3:06 PM

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

St. Joseph residents will not be required to wear masks while in public.

The St. Joseph City Council has decided against taking that step, though concerns have arisen over an increase in COVID-19 cases, primarily due to an outbreak in The Living Community.

A requirement remains a possibility.

Council members will review a proposal to mandate the wearing of masks when they meet again next Thursday in their weekly meeting to monitor the coronavirus pandemic.

The Living Community reports 22 residents and 15 employees have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Buchanan County reports 880 total cases; the number of cases since official counting began. Andrew County reports 54 cases of COVID-19. Doniphan County, Kansas records 26 cases.

Mosaic Life Care has now tested 12,060 area residents with 539 testing positive for the coronavirus. Fifteen patients are being treated at the St. Joseph hospital for COVID-19, a few on ventilators. Mosaic is awaiting results from 205 tests.

The Missouri Department of Health reports 22,283 total cases statewide, resulting in 1,022 deaths. Kansas health officials report 14,990 statewide cases and 272 deaths.