This page will house all updates provided by the Cass County Health Department regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of April 10, there are 11 known cases of COVID-19 in Harrisonville, and 34 cases have been reported in Cass County. Tragically, one person has died, as a result of COVID-19. Click here to view the Cass County Health Department’s community-case numbers.
APRIL 1, 2020 UPDATE from Cass County Health Department
The Cass County Health Department is heartbroken to announce that it was informed on March 31, 2020, of the first death of a Cass County resident due to COVID-19. The Belton resident was a female in her early 70s. She tested positive for COVID-19 on March 20, 2020. The case was not travel-related and she had underlying health conditions.
MARCH 23, 2020 UPDATE from Cass County Health Departmtnet
On Monday, March 23, the Cass County Health Department issued a Public Health Emergency Order stating that residents should shelter in place for a period of 30 days.
The order will take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, March, 24, and last until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 24.
We want to assure residents that the decision for Harrisonville and the rest of Cass County to shelter in place, in attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19, was handled with great care and deliberation by elected and appointed officials from both the County and the Cities within.
While we have our reservations about this order and do understand that it could potentially have a negative impact on businesses in our community, we will continue to support the guidance of our health authority, in an attempt to “flatten the curve” and limit the spread of the virus in and around Harrisonville.
The City of Harrisonville is committed to the health and safety of the public and is working diligently to prevent the spread of COVID-19, while continuing to serve our residents and customers. The CCHD is the county’s public health expert and authority and the City of Harrisonville will fully support their efforts to keep our community safe.
Click here to view the full order.
MARCH 21, 2020 UPDATE from Cass County Health Department
On Saturday, March 21, the Cass County Health Department issued a new public health emergency order, based on new recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Missouri Governor Mike Parson’s office. The Department also declared the COVID-19 pandemic to be a public health emergency for Cass County.
The order will take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, March 22 and last until 12:01 a.m. April 6, 2020:
• Every person in the State of Missouri shall avoid social gatherings of more than ten (10) people. For purposes of this Order, “social gatherings” shall mean any planned or spontaneous event or convening that would bring together more than ten (10) people in a single space at the same time. Included under this order are religious gatherings and ceremonies.
• All restaurants, bars, taverns, clubs and movie theaters are to be closed to the public. Establishments may continue to provide curbside, drive-through, and delivery services.
• People shall not visit nursing homes, long-term care facilities, retirement homes, or assisted living homes unless to provide critical assistance.
• Schools shall remain closed.
The City of Harrisonville fully supports this order and the efforts of CCHD to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
View the full order here.
MARCH 20, 2020 UPDATE from Cass County Health Department
MARCH 19, 2020 UPDATE from Cass County Health Department
MARCH 17, 2020 UPDATE from Cass County Health Department
Dear Restaurant Operators in Cass County,
As you know, COVID-19 is upon us and the entire world is taking action to stop its spread. As of yesterday, the first case was confirmed in Cass County and we are now officially asking that you follow the guidelines we have included in the attachment to this email. Many of you are already familiar with what these precautions entail, as they are very similar to those released by other jurisdictions. As of now, these precautions will be in effect through March 31st. If this changes, we will reach out to all of you via the email addresses we have on file for your establishment.
I want to take this moment to clarify that despite what I told some of you, we will NOT be allowing those seeking carry-out orders to be allowed in the lobby. Carry-out is allowed, but we ask that it be done via curbside.
I would like to thank those of you who reached out to our office to inquire about what COVID-19 means to you and your operations over the past few days. I appreciate your vigilance and dedication to helping us stop the spread of this terrible virus. Due to the rapidly changing nature of this situation, it has been difficult to keep up with the latest information.
I know this isn’t the best situation, and many of you will be hit hard, but your assistance in this matter is crucial. And what better time to do some deep cleaning, or check to see if your employees have up to date food handler cards? I am hopeful many of you will find the silver lining in this situation.
Again, I want to thank all of you for your help during this difficult time. Please feel free to reach out to me or any of our health department staff if you have any further questions or would like any further guidance. We will do our best to get back with you as quickly as possible.
Sincerely,
Andrew Carpenter
Environmental Health Supervisor, Cass County Health Department
MARCH 13, 2020
The United States Department of Health and Senior Services and the Center for Disease Control are currently responding to an outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that was first detected in China and which has now been detected in almost 100 locations internationally, including in the United States. The virus has been named “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease it causes has been named “coronavirus disease 2019” (abbreviated “COVID-19”).
As global response to this disease continues, we want to provide you with some information about the virus and some tips to help you avoid both COVID-19 and other forms of infection.
For the next 8 weeks, the CDC recommends avoiding or cancelling all events of 50 or more people. Ongoing guidance recommends that, in areas where there is even minimal COVID-19 exposure, events likely to include 10 or more people at high-risk for serious issues should be canceled. People at higher risk include older adults and people who have chronic medical conditions such as lung and heart disease, as well as diabetes.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is operating a hotline for residents and health care providers to call for information and guidance about COVID-19. The statewide hotline number is 877-435-8411. The hotline is being operated by medical professionals and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Click here to view tips and information about preventing the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
Visit the COVID-19 section of the Cass County Health Department’s website.