Recent News

Media Contact:
Lisa Cox
Chief, Office of Public Information
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
Lisa.Cox@health.mo.gov

JEFFERSON CITY, MO –The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), the Henry County Health Center and Golden Valley Memorial Hospital announce a Henry County, Missouri resident has tested presumptively positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). This case is one of those reported on March 13 by Governor Mike Parson during a news conference.

The patient was hospitalized at Golden Valley Memorial Hospital in Clinton prior to being transferred on March 8 to another facility where a specimen was collected for testing and where the patient remains currently. 

The specimen, tested by the Missouri State Public Health Laboratory, has been forwarded to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) laboratory. Local health department officials are identifying close contacts to monitor for symptoms and contain spread. 

Golden Valley Memorial Hospital is being placed on diversion for emergency services and has been advised to not admit new patients. While awaiting confirmation of test results from the CDC, the Henry County Health Center will treat this presumptive case as positive and follow CDC guidelines to protect public health. As part of this ongoing public health investigation, patients and visitors to the hospital will be contacted by public health officials as available information warrants. 

“We are working closely with our state partners as well as our local hospital to quickly identify and respond to anyone who may need to self-isolate due to close contact with this individual,” said Peggy Bowles, administrator of the Henry County Health Center. “It is vital that we act quickly with protective measures.”

DHSS has tested a total of 94 individuals statewide for COVID-19. Ninety of the individuals tested negative. 

“We are committed to assisting our local partners in Henry County through this process," said Dr. Randall Williams, director of DHSS. “It is very important that anyone identified as a close contact of this patient follow necessary precautions to limit any potential spread of infection.”

It is important to make sure the information you are getting about COVID-19 is coming directly from reliable sources like the CDC and DHSS. For more information, please visit the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus and the DHSS website at www.health.mo.gov/coronavirus.