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Officials urge care as holiday might give appearance of lower COVID numbers

People urged to continue to use caution to slow the spread of the virus

Health care and public officials are warning people that numbers may seem down for confirmed COVID-19 cases but that may be an impact of the holiday and they may come back even higher as testing catches up.

The state COVID-19 response tracking map update this morning listed 369 new cases in the state, bringing the total to 62,198 confirmed cases, but officials say that number could climb as testing delayed by the Thanksgiving holiday catches up.

The total today is 2,402 more than the update from Friday, which reported 148 cases confirmed Thursday — the Thanksgiving holiday.

Officials say the numbers in the U.S. are likely to climb as more testing is done.

Many have expressed concern that a surge could follow due to gatherings held for the holiday as well, potentially continuing through Christmas, but numbers remained low this morning.

Locally, Blaine County reported Sunday evening no new confirmed cases with a total of 517 cases in the county, 29 active.

Hill County reported Sunday evening seven new confirmed cases, with a total of 1,329 for the county, 241 active.

Blaine County has reported 19 COVID-19-related deaths while Hill County has reported 31.

The state tracking map today reported no new cases confirmed in Liberty County with 87 total cases there, 28 active, and one death.

The map also reported no new cases confirmed in Chouteau County, with 274 total cases there, 51 active, and three deaths.

The numbers continue to climb nationwide. The United States continues to have the highest number in the world, with Johns Hopkins University of Medicine’s online tracking map listing the U.S. with 13,399,855 cases and 266,986 deaths.

Officials and agencies like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention continue to urge people to stay at home and quarantine if they feel ill or have been exposed to the virus, to not leave home except for essential activities and to wear a cloth mask if out in public, and to regularly wash their hands with soap for at least 20 seconds or use a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol and to regularly wash and disinfect surfaces.

 

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