First COVID-19 Case in Missouri

In a press conference on Saturday, Governor Mike Parson, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, and medical professionals announced the first case to test presumptive positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Missouri. The specimen, conducted by the Missouri State Public Health Laboratory, has been forwarded to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) laboratory. This case is travel-related. The Missouri person, a female in her twenties from St. Louis County, recently traveled to Italy. She is now in isolation at home with family members who have also been in isolation. Local health department officials are identifying close contacts to monitor symptoms and contain the spread of the virus. Speaker of the House Elijah Haahr, Speaker Pro Tem John Wiemann, and Majority Floor Leader Rob Vescovo have issued the following statement regarding the recent news of a “presumptive positive” case of COVID-19 in Missouri:

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has tested a total of 26 individuals for COVID-19 including the presumptive positive case announced today. Three additional tests remain in progress.

“St. Louis County is prepared for this challenge. We are responding quickly, professionally, and effectively to these test results,” St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said. “We have the utmost trust in DHSS to handle this in a way that protects Missourians and will continue to look to Dr. Patterson and the Special Committee on Disease Control and Prevention to monitor the situation, so if needed, the legislature is ready to act quickly in a bipartisan way to prevent further spread throughout the state.”