Greene County coronavirus cases jump

Clay Goddard encourages residents to stay at home.

Last edited 1:04 p.m., March 23, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has now resulted in 17 confirmed cases in Greene County, according to the Springfield-Greene County Health Department.

Health Department Director Clay Goddard announced the updated figure at a news conference this afternoon. Four cases are patients from assisted living center Morningside of Springfield East, he said, noting the Health Department believes this represents the first community spread of COVID-19 locally.

"We take every case seriously. I would even say we take them personally. I don’t want people to be sick in Greene County. It makes me sad, and it makes me angry … because we want to fight situations like this,” he said. “We need the community to step up and help us. We need everyone to do nothing right now. That means you stay at home.”

The Health Department had previously announced 10 cases. The seventh case previously had been reported by Christian County; however, it was later found the individual lives in Greene County, according to a separate news release.

The Christian County Health Department reported Friday that the county only has one case.

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department on Saturday separately disclosed a Missouri State University student tested positive for COVID-19. The student was not living in MSU housing this semester and has not been in southwest Missouri since March 14. Since the student is in isolation in Boone County, it's not being counted as a Greene County case, according to a news release.

Nonprofit assistance
Community Foundation of the Ozarks announced it’s establishing a $1 million charitable fund to help local nonprofits during the coronavirus pandemic.

The funding is provided by CFO, the Missouri Foundation for Health and the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation managed by Commerce Trust Co., according to a news release.

The funds are available for nonprofits working to support vulnerable residents in CFO's 58-county service area. The nonprofits provide food, child care and other services.