MISSOURI, USA — Missouri surpassed 1,000 COVID-19 deaths Tuesday as the state continued to see an increase in cases throughout the state.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported a total of 21,551 cases and 1,015 deaths, an increase of 508 cases and 19 deaths Tuesday.
"That's 1,000 people that lost their lives due to COVID-19," Missouri Governor Mike Parson said in a Tuesday press conference. "I think we all need to remember that a lot of affected people out there, a lot of family members that have been affected by COVID-19."
The state reported an increase of 5,601 tests, bringing the state's total to 373,007. It also reported a slight decrease in the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, from 601 Monday to 592. Hosptial data is lagged 72 hours to ensure accuracy.
The first time the Missouri health department reported 300 new cases in a single day was June 20. Since then, the state has reported fewer than 300 new cases twice.
The state's positivity rate increased Tuesday from 5.73% on Monday to 5.78%.
Tuesday was the second time the state reported a single-day increase of more than 500 cases. The first time was June 25, when the state reported thousands of backlogged tests, resulting in a decrease of the state's overall positivity rate.
During the most recent holiday weekend, photos from the Lake of the Ozarks circulated showing people crowded together in pools and bars, flouting social distancing guidelines. Heading into another holiday weekend, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Dr. Randall Williams said he hoped people would be warry of a study done by the CDC when considering how to celebrate.
"Just because it's July 4 and you're outside, to be congregated in a pool, my message for you today would be: 50% of people who get COVID-19 don't know where they got it from," Dr. Williams said, referencing a study released to the health department Tuesday. "So if you think you can identify, the data would not support that. So going into this weekend, even if you are outside, we really, really would encourage you to practice social distancing."
For a full county-by-county breakdown of cases in the state, use our interactive map. Some of the local county numbers come from local health departments and may not match data from the DHSS.
