Greene County patient with COVID-19 dies

Last edited 11:48 a.m., March 24, 2020

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department announced the first death from the coronavirus in Greene County during a news conference Monday night.

The individual was a case confirmed from the Morningside of Springfield East assisted living facility announced earlier on Monday.

“This is a sobering reminder of what we’re fighting here," Health Department Director Clay Goddard said. "It will take each and every one of us fighting against this illness. It will take each and every one of us making sacrifices in the short term so that we can flatten the curve."

Goddard said the patient was in their 80s. Three others who tested positive for COVID-19 at the assisted living center have been hospitalized.

Mayor Ken McClure said Springfield City Council is working with the Health Department to announce further restrictions to public activity. Currently, city council has banned public gatherings of 10 or more people and has restricted restaurant activity to drive-thru, carryout or delivery services. Council held closed session meetings last night and this morning, according to the city website.

“I want to assure our citizens that we … are working around the clock to put measures in place to ensure our citizens’ safety,” McClure said at Monday night’s livestreamed news conference.

As of this morning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 33,404 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States and 400 deaths.