Coronavirus News

I have been waiting even longer than last time to write this piece, afraid I might upset the karmic universe, but it may be safe to say there’s a light at the end of the dark, two-year-long tunnel of COVID-19. It was March 23, 2020, when schools shut down for an apparently fast-moving virus spreading across the world, the novel Coronavirus...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases have stayed at less than 25 for three weeks now, dropping again this week from 22 to 13. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 6,982 (+13 from March 9) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases remain low this week after tumbling from more than 450 active less than two months ago. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 6,969 (+22 from March 2) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases have fallen as quickly as they rose in recent months, now down to less than 20 active cases overall. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 6,947 (+16 from Feb. 22) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases have continued to fall, though three more residents have died from the virus. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 6,931 (+44 from Feb. 17) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases spent a few weeks setting records, and in line with the rest of the nation, numbers have started to fall. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 6,887 (+79 from Feb. 1) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases have fallen back into the 200s after a spike that saw the highest number of active cases in the county in a week. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 6,619 (+254 from Jan. 26) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases are continuing to set weekly records, topping 400 for the first time during the pandemic. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 6,365 (+455 from Jan. 19) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

The frigid weeks of January can lead to some pretty cold news days in my industry — but not this year. The bustle of the last 14 days have provided numerous topics of conversation among readers, and even authors. For this reason, I am again resorting to a tactic used by the former owner of the Cassville Democrat, Bob Mitchell, and employing the “off the spike” technique of addressing multiple notes in one sitting...

Due to a rise in COVID-positive numbers among students and staff, the Monett school district has transitioned to virtual learning, beginning today, and continuing through Monday. In the interim, the facilities will undergo deep cleaning. Seated classes will resume Tuesday...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases have reached a new weekly peak, 145 more than the previous weekly record in November 2020. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 5,910 (+399 from Jan. 12) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Purdy schools announced Wednesday that they would be taking a wellness break from Thursday through Monday, with school returning in session Tuesday. As of 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, Purdy schools had 14 students who had tested positive and four positive cases among staff members. There were also 18 students and two staff members out of school due to household contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases have more than doubled in the last eight days, and the figure is only 8 cases less than the county’s peak in November 2020. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 5,511 (+246 from Jan. 4) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

In the past 22 months, I have heard more Greek alphabet talk than when I lived on-campus in my college days. As it stands, we are in the midst of the grasp of the COVID-19 pandemic’s 15th Greek letter variant — Omicron — with only nine letters left to Omega and the birth of a whole new naming system yet to be determined, according to the World Health Organization...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases diminished by a third last week, but this week, cases spiked to more than 100 active for the first time since Sept. 15, 2021. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 5,265 (+104 from Dec. 29) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases dropped by a third this week, but two new deaths were reported. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 5,161 (+63 from Dec. 21) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases remained near 100 over the past 12 days, but six more residents with underlying health conditions have died of the virus. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 5,098 (+162 from Dec. 9) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Locally-ordered quarantines became a thing of the past this week, as a Cole County ruling has stripped county health departments of the authority. David Compton, Barry County Emergency Management director, said the change is per the ruling, Robinson v. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, and a letter from Attorney General Eric Schmitt...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases have risen slightly this week with 80 new cases, nearly double last week’s 48. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,936 (+80 from Dec. 1) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases dropped slightly this week, and there were 17 less new cases than the week before. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,856 (+48 from Nov. 24) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases have leveled for a week, with a few less new cases than last week and a few less active cases, as well. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,808 (+65 from Nov. 17) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases have continued to rise, with 72 new cases reported in the county in the last six days. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,743 (+72 from Nov. 11) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases jumped up slightly after multiple weeks of falling figures. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,671 (+48 from Nov. 2) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

CoxHealth is now offering COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 5-and-up. The change, which added eligibility for individuals ages 5-11, is in response to approval of the vaccine for this group from the CDC and Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases are hovering around 50 in the last two weeks, and three more people have died from the virus. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,623 (+29 from Oct. 26) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases dipped again in the last week, with only 30 new cases of the virus reported. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,594 (+30 from Oct. 20) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases went up slightly this week, but the new number of cases compared to last week is lower. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,564 (+44 from Oct. 12) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s positive COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases have fallen below 50 for the first time since the end of June. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,520 (+28 from Oct. 6) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

The Barry County Health Department will conduct a community-wide vaccine clinic on Saturday in Cassville and on Oct. 23 in Monett. These vaccine booster clinics are open to eligible all Missouri residents who completed the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination at least 6 months ago. There is no cost to individuals receiving the vaccine...

Barry County’s positive COVID-19 (coronavirus) have been holding steady in the 70s-80s range, and the trend is continuing this week. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,492 (+54 from Sept. 29) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s positive COVID-19 (coronavirus) have dropped from the high of 146 at the start of the month, but are now holding steady in the 70s-80s range. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,438 (+61 from Sept. 22) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s positive COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases and number of total quarantines both took dips in the last week. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,377 (+57 from Sept. 22) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s positive COVID-19 (coronavirus) have held steady this week, with only six more active than last week. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,320 (+77 from Sept. 15) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s positive COVID-19 (coronavirus) dipped below 100 again in the last week, and one new death was reported. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,243 (+65 from Sept. 1) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Most weeks, coming up with a topic for this column is fairly simple and straightforward, but sometimes, there are too many things to talk about but not enough about one thing to make it the star. In this situation, I am resorting to a tactic used by the former owner of the Cassville Democrat, Bob Mitchell, and employing the “off the spike” technique of addressing multiple notes in one sitting...

Barry County’s positive COVID-19 (coronavirus) spiked 75 percent in the last week, the first week school was back in session. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,178 (+99 from Aug. 26) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s positive COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases held steady in the last week, dropping by 9, though 71 new cases were added. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,079 (+71 from Aug. 18) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

For the second year now, students have returned to classes in August with some abnormality. After classes were canceled entirely in the spring of 2020 due to COVID-19, robbing many seniors that year of prom, graduation and athletics seasons, our education system has not been the same since...

Two weeks. Members of the Monett School Board recently mandated students returning to seated classes wear masks for the initial two-week period in an effort to curb or quell any possible spread of COVID-19 and its more transmissible variant, Delta, which is three times more contagious than its Alpha variant...

CoxHealth is beginning mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for its staff. All CoxHealth employees must have their first dose of vaccine by Oct. 15. This decision applies to all physicians, vendors, students and employees who are on CoxHealth’s campuses. President of Cox Monett Hospital Darren Bass said approximately 70 percent of the local hospital’s staff is currently vaccinated. Of those employees, Bass said more than 95 percent of the hospital’s doctors are vaccinated...

On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, and will now be marketed as Comirnaty for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older. The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA) for individuals 12-15 years of age, and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals...

Students attending the Monett School District should learn to make face masks a regular part of their back to school kit. Students will be required to wear masks the first two weeks of school, Aug. 24 through Sept. 3, and then afterward if the total number of Covid positive tests combined with the number of quarantine cases meets or exceeds 8 percent in each individual campus. ...

Masking will be optional on campus at Purdy schools for the coming year, but, per federal mandate, masks will still be required on school buses. During the August meeting, just prior to the Tuesday, Aug. 24 first day of school, the Purdy School Board approved its annual Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Service Plan that, among other things, outlines the school district’s masking policy...

Barry County’s positive COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases are continuing to roller coaster, dropping to less than 100 active this week after spiking to more than 200 for the first time in nine months last week. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 4,008 (+65 from Aug. 11) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County’s positive COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases have climbed above 200 for the first time since November 2020. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,943 (+245 from July 28) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

As the COVID-19 Delta Variant continues to devastate parts of the country, including Missouri, Cox Monett Hospital and the greater CoxHealth system is fighting to keep up with the demand. As of Thursday, Cox President and CEO Steve Edwards said Monett Hospital is currently treating six patients for COVID-19 in Monett...

Tyson Foods, which employs 624 people in Monett, has mandated that employees receive COVID-19 vaccinations by Nov. 1. Tyson announced Tuesday that all office employees are required to be vaccinated by Oct. 1 and all other employees are to be vaccinated by Nov. 1...

Barry County’s positive COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases took a dip this week, falling from more than 160 active cases to below 120. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,708 (+85) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

The CoxHealth Hospital system is aiming to grow its COVID-19 care capacity, as it is reaching a record level of in-patients as the Delta variant of the virus rages through southwest Missouri. Steve Edwards, president and CEO of CoxHealth, said as of Thursday, the system housed 163 patients with COVID, five of whom are at Cox Monett Hospital...

The Barry County Health Department has shuttered its doors this week due to at least one positive case within the office. “As cases of COVID-19 have notably increased in Barry County area and throughout the state, Barry County Health Department personnel have contracted COVID-19, as well,” a press release said on Monday. “BCHD will be closed July 26-30 due to this situation to help protect the public and staff in the face of rising...

For the first time since February, I was on a conference call this week that I did not want to be on and that the organizer would rather not have to set up. CoxHealth held COVID-19 calls in November, December and February, initially detailing the initial surge of cases and eventually highlighting the arrival of vaccines that everyone hoped would break the wave...

Barry County has nearly four times as many active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases as a month ago, and hospitalizations due to the virus remain in the double digits. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,623 (+127) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

This week marks a new first for Barry County in the 16 months of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic — the most hospitalizations in any one week. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,496 (+91) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

For the first time since the start of February, the number active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in Barry County has climbed over 100, nearly doubling the count from last week. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,405 (+83) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

A week ago, my wife, daughter and I sat down for lunch at a local Monett eatery, discussing the topics of the day as we waited for our meal to be delivered. We were discussing the COVID-19 vaccine rates and the latest news on the delta variant, specifically the Tweet from CoxHealth President Steve Edwards telling vaccine nay-sayers to “shut up.”...

The Delta variant of COVID-19 (coronavirus) is making a heavy mark in southwest Missouri, as Barry County has received 44 new cases of the virus in the last week, and Lawrence County opened 117 cases over a 7-day period. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,322 (+44) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County added 36 new COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in the last week, and and one in three people tested for the virus received a positive result. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,278 (+36) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County added 29 new COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in the last week, and officials say the Delta variant of the virus is now the dominant strain in southwest Missouri. The Delta variant, first identified in India, shows increased transmissibility and is believed to be the reason for a recent rise in cases in the United Kingdom. ...

Barry County added 19 new COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in the last week, keeping the total number of active cases consistent. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,213 (+19) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County added 24 new COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in the last week, the highest number of new positives in any week since mid-February. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,194 (+24) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County added nine new COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in the last week, and the overall number of active cases has dipped closer to single-digits after a one-week spike. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,170 (+9) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County added 19 new COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in the last week, double the number of new cases in each of the previous three weeks. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,161 (+19) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County added 8 new COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in the last week, and at least 1-in-4 of the county’s residents have now had at least one vaccine. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,142 (+8) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 for the second consecutive week...

Barry County added 8 new COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in the last week, and more than 10,000 of the county’s residents have now had at least one vaccine. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,134 (+8) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County added 10 new COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in the last week, and just over 27 percent of county residents have had at least one vaccine. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,126 (+10) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in Barry County remains low, but only 263 new vaccines were administered in the last week. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,116 (+6\10) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

The Barry County Health Department will have a limited supply of Moderna vaccine for vaccinations on Tuesday and Wednesday. All Missouri residents aged 18 and older are eligible for the Modena COVID-19 vaccination. There is no cost to individuals receiving the vaccine. Residents must call 417-847-2114 to schedule an appointment...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in Barry County has dropped into the single digits, and nearly 1-in-3 eligible persons has been vaccinated. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,106 (+6) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

The Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine for COVID-19 has been put on pause after people at multiple vaccination sites experienced adverse reactions. In a joint statement Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration said they were investigating unusual clots in six women that occurred 6-13 days after vaccination. ...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in Barry County remained at 12 active since two weeks ago, and only 17 new cases have been reported in that time frame. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,100 (+17) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

On April 9, all Missouri residents become eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. The Barry County Health Department has announced two new vaccination clinics. The drive-thru clinics are being held in Cassville on April 9 and 10 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents must register using the Missouri Vaccine Navigator website. All interested persons can register online at https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/navigator private event code 76014 or by phone at 877-435-8411. Online registration is open 7 days a week...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in Barry County has fallen again this week, down to 12, and 1-in-5 residents have received at least one dose of vaccine. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,083 (+11) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

I have been waiting to write this piece, afraid I might upset the karmic universe, but after about a month, I think it’s safe to say there’s a light at the end of the dark, year-long tunnel of COVID-19. It was a year ago on Tuesday that schools were shut down because of the virus, but it was not until months later that our area really began seeing the cases climb...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in Barry County has continued to stay low, and a total of 5,811 vaccines have been initiated. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,072 (+24 in the last two weeks) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Barry County Health Department officials report they have received a limited number of Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccines, which will be administered by appointment on Saturday. Those interested in receiving a vaccination can call the Barry County Health Department at 417-847-2114 to register...

The Barry County Health Department has announced there will be a drive-thru vaccination in Cassville on Monday. Missouri Residents who are included in Phase 1B – Tier 3 are eligible for vaccination. Tier 3 includes K-12 educators, childcare staff, food production and processing employees, as well as persons included in the certain critical infrastructure sectors. Persons over 65 years of age, first responders, and those with certain health conditions remain eligible for vaccination...

Residents eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination are urged to register immediately for the Monett Vaccination Clinic. The mass vaccination clinic scheduled for Tuesday is at risk of being canceled if registration remains low. As of Friday, there were fewer than 100 registrants for the nearly 1.000 available vaccinations...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in Barry County has dropped to 25, and a total of 3,408 vaccines have been initiated. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,048 (+22) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in Barry County has remained low in the last week, with only 5 new cases and quarantines are in the 50-plus range. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 3,026 (+27) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in Barry County has dipped to 27, with only 16 new, and the number of quarantines has dropped significantly. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 2,999 (+16) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19.

The Monett Branch Library is making moves to keep up with the changing times, offering more online and virtual programming and options for community residents. The library has continued offering its arts and crafts courses, but in light of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, organizers have had to get creative with their planning...

Mass vaccination clinics scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday at the Monett Park Casino have been canceled due to the dangerously cold temperatures and possibility of additional snow. The clinics were a planned cooperative event between Barry and Lawrence counties, the state of Missouri, and the Centers for Disease Control to vaccinate eligible people. ...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases is holding steady this week at 75, and the positive test rate has dropped nearly 1 percent. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 2,983 (+68) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Following the recent White House announcement regarding the launch of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 vaccine administration, Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services has learned that federal partners have selected 102 retail pharmacies to join Missouri in the effort to efficiently make vaccine available to any eligible Missourian. ...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases has dipped to below 75, and the positive test rate remains above 14 percent. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 2,915 (+70) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Cox Monett received the latest round of COVID-19 (coronavirus) vaccines this week and kicked off a vaccination clinic for at-risk residents Tuesday. CoxHealth received a total of 5,700 doses this week and 1,000 doses last week. These are the first doses the hospital system has received since it got its initial release of 6,700 doses in December...

Trinity Lutheran School in Freistatt is more equipped than ever to continue offering daily classes to their 100 students thanks to a $177,000 grant awarded by Lawrence County through the CARES Act. With those funds, the school has purchased personal computers for all of the students and teachers, installed smart boards in every classroom, refurbished the gymnasium floor and upgraded its bathrooms...

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began almost a year ago, local residents have the opportunity to “stick it” to the virus by receiving vaccines. This week, Barry and Lawrence counties both received batches of inoculations, a first for Lawrence County...

The availability of COVID-19 vaccines lately has been hit and miss, but Friday and this weekend, Barry and Lawrence counties will administer a combined 300 vaccines to residents. Roger Brock, Barry County Health Department administrator, said his office plans to deliver just over 100 Pfizer vaccines on Friday. So far, Barry County has given about 130 Moderna vaccines...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases has climbed above 100 again, and 1 out of every 7 tests in the county are coming back positive. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 2,845 (+85) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases have been cut almost in half since last week, but two new deaths have been announced and the positive test rate remains at 14 percent. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 2,760 (+89) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases have gone up since last week, and the positive test rate is now double what it was in November 2020. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 2,671 (+145) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) has nearly doubled in the first week of the new year, and the positive test rate continues to climb. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 2,526 (+130) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) had been dipping, then spiked again and now have been cut in half as 2021 begins. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 2,396 (+158) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) had been dipping, but this week it rose up to almost 150 just days before Christmas. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 2,238 (+142) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

The first COVID-19 vaccines were administered to frontline staff at 6 a.m. on Tuesday at Cox Monett. Cheryl Webb, RN, was the staff member chosen to receive the first shot. Applause filled the conference room as the first dose was administered...

Area hospitals have either received or will soon be receiving vaccines for their employees, as Mercy is administering Pfizer shots already, and Cox facilities expect to receive a Moderna delivery on Monday. Steve Edwards, president and CEO of CoxHealth, said Thursday that Cox facilities are prepared to inoculate employees starting on Monday, assuming the FDA approves Moderna on Friday...

The number of active COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases fell by 23 since last week, but the figure remains above 100 and the positive test rate is unchanged at 13 percent. According to the Barry County Health Department and Barry County Office of Emergency Management, there have been 2,186 (+97) confirmed positive cases of COVID-19...

Allisha Vore-Reeves, RN at Washington Regional Hospital in Fayetteville, Ark. received a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 16.

The winter sports playoff and classification structure will look much different this year due to COVID-19. The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) recently announced multiple changes, district assignments for basketball and wrestling and class assignments for swimming, along with different playoff formats...