CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. — The Lake of the Ozarks region has seen its first COVID-19-related death, according to the Camden County Health Department. The Health Department also reported three new positive tests on Friday, for a total of four confirmed cases in the county.
According to Camden County Health Director Bee Dampier, the patient, identified as case #3, was a male over 65 years old. No other personal details were given. Dampier said the Camden County Health Department has notified patient #4 that they tested positive, and that person has been instructed to follow DHSS and CDC guidelines regarding isolation. "We are working to identify and notify close contacts of both cases in order to isolate and monitor them for symptoms and contain [the] spread," Dampier said, adding these investigations are ongoing.
Both cases did reportedly attend the Lake West Pub Crawl on March 14. However, Dampier did not elaborate as to whether it is thought the patients were exposed to the virus at that time or contracted it before or after. Dampier said patient #4 did have out-of-state travel history.
Elsewhere at the Lake, Miller and Morgan counties still had no confirmed cases of COVID-19, as of March 27. Benton County, at the westernmost end of Lake of the Ozarks, announced its first positive test on Friday.
In Dampier's announcement, she also reiterated safety measures that should be taken by everyone:
It is important that each and every one of us continue to practice basic preventative measures to help decrease the spread. Please comply with the Governor’s Social Distancing order. These measures, as outlined by the Director of MO DHSS include: social distancing of at least 6ft, avoiding eating or drinking inside restaurants or bars, no gatherings of more than 10 people, and as recommended by CDC; avoiding contact with people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes, proper hand-washing, cleaning frequently used surfaces, and staying home when sick.
We highly encourage, if you suspect that you have COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, call your healthcare provider before seeking care. If you think you have COVID, act as if you KNOW you have COVID and stay away from others. Our Community Partners are working hard to develop several options for testing with a physician’s order to increase availability.
