Health Department reports 17 new COVID deaths

Last week, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department reported the deaths of 17 Greene County residents from COVID-19 for the June 21-July 4 reporting period. All 17 fatalities occurred in June. Those who died range in age from their 40s to their 90s. The last time the Health Department reported 17 deaths in a reporting period was Jan. 27.
Two of the individuals who died did not seek medical attention, highlighting the importance of seeking emergency medical care when signs of severe illness from COVID-19 arise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if an individual is showing any of the following symptoms, they should seek emergency care immediately:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Inability to wake or stay awake
- Pale, gray or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds – depending on skin tone
If someone is showing any of these symptoms, they or a loved one or friend should immediately call 911 and inform the operator of their COVID-19 diagnoses. Of the reported deaths, none were fully vaccinated according to the state of Missouri’s COVID-19 vaccine database.
“This should be extremely concerning to our community, especially as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to infect and hospitalize many people,” said Acting Director of Health Katie Towns. “It’s our responsibility to protect ourselves and our loved ones from this deadly virus by getting vaccinated. Additionally, if someone we know has COVID-19, we need to check in on them and watch for any signs of severe illness that may require hospitalization.”
On Monday, 121 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported to the Health Department, bringing our seven-day average to 139 cases per day. This represents a 20 percent increase in cases over the past seven days. As of Tuesday morning,181 individuals were being treated for COVID-19 at Springfield hospitals.
Over the last two weeks, the 31-40 age group had the highest increase in new cases compared to the last two weeks. Cases in children ages zero to four also significantly increased.
Vaccination is the best tool we have to fight COVID-19 and the variants. Our community continues to fall behind the state and nation in the percent of individuals fully vaccinated. More than 60 percent of Greene County residents 12 and over are unvaccinated, putting themselves and others at risk of serious complications due to COVID-19. The Health Department continues to work hard to make the COVID-19 vaccine easily accessible for everyone who is eligible. Those still needing a vaccine can visit vaccine417.com or call the Health Department’s COVID-19 Call Center at (417) 874-1211 for a list of available opportunities.
Number of Greene County residents fully vaccinated (as of July 6)
- 98,862 Greene County residents 12 and older have been fully vaccinated
- According to the CDC, 55.4 percent of Americans 12+ have been fully vaccinated. This compares to 39.19 percent in Greene County.
For the reporting period from June 21-July 4, 2021:
COVID-19 deaths
- 17 deaths (up from 2 two weeks ago)
Number of new COVID-19 cases
- 1,782 cases (up from 1,220 two weeks ago)
7-day rolling average of new COVID-19 cases
- 139 (up from 94 two weeks ago)
Current hospitalizations
- 181 hospitalizations
- 81 are Greene County residents
Additional information, including daily updates, can be found on the Health Department’s COVID-19 dashboard at http://health.springfieldmo.gov/coronavirus