This page will house all updates provided by the Cass County Health Department and other governing health authorities regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of September 30, there have been 231 known cases of COVID-19 in Harrisonville, and 1,637 cases have been reported in Cass County. Tragically, 23 people have died, as a result of COVID-19. Click here to view the Cass County Health Department’s community-case numbers.
JUNE 11, 2020, UPDATE from Missouri Governor Mike Parson
On Thursday, Governor Mike Parson announced that Missouri will be moving into Phase 2 of the Missouri Show-Me Strong Recovery Plan on June 16.
During Phase 2, there will be no statewide health order. All statewide restrictions will be lifted, but local officials (like the Cass County Health Department) will still have the authority to put further rules, regulations, or ordinances in place.
"We must remember that COVID-19 is not gone. It is still extremely important for everyone to continue social distancing," Governor Parson said. "Be proactive. Avoid large, congested crowds, and if you can’t social distance, take extra precautions to protect yourself and those around you."
More information on the “Show Me Strong Recovery” Plan can be found at showmestrong.mo.gov.
JUNE 7, 2020, INFORMATION from the Cass County Health Department.
Free COVID-19 testing is now available for Harrisonville and other Cass County residents. Testing will be conducted on June 11-12, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Raymore-Peculiar High School, located at 20801 S School Road, Peculiar, MO. Registration is required. For more information, please visit http://health.mo.gov/communitytest
MAY 28, 2020 UPDATE from Missouri Governor Mike Parson
"Today, I announced that Phase 1 of the state’s “Show Me Strong Recovery” Plan has been extended from Sunday, May 31, 2020, through Monday, June 15, 2020.
We are very pleased with how well Phase 1 has gone so far. Businesses, communities, and Missourians across the state have done a great job of implementing health and safety measures, and we continue to be encouraged by data across the state.
Extending Phase 1 of the plan through June 15 aligns with our other Executive Orders as well as the state of emergency in Missouri.
Additionally, some communities are farther along than others in the recovery process. Extending Phase 1 will give communities more time to prepare and align efforts as the state continues working toward Phase 2.
I want to assure you that our efforts are showing positive results, and we are still in a good place with all four of our recovery pillars. We are extending Phase 1 not because Missouri has taken steps back, but because we want to continue the progress we’ve made and make sure we are fully prepared for Phase 2.
During Phase 1, citizens may re-engage in economic and social activities but must adhere to social distancing requirements, including maintaining six feet of space between individuals in most cases.
There are currently no limitations on social gatherings as long as necessary precautions are taken and six feet of distance can be maintained between individuals and/or families. Additionally, all businesses can be open provided that the social distancing guidelines set forth in the health order are followed.
Local officials will still have the authority to put further rules, regulations, or ordinances in place so long as they are not inconsistent with the statewide order."
More information on the “Show Me Strong Recovery” Plan can be found at showmestrong.mo.gov.
MAY 10, 2020 UPDATE from Cass County Health Department
The Cass County Health Department is heartbroken to announce that it was recently informed, of the eighth death of a Cass County resident due to COVID-19. The individual was an 77-year-old male from Cleveland.
No press release was provided when this information was announced. If one becomes available, it will be added here.
MAY 7, 2020 UPDATE from Cass County Health Department
The Cass County Health Department is heartbroken to announce that it was recently informed, of the seventh death of a Cass County resident due to COVID-19. The individual was an 80-year-old female from Harrisonville. The case was connected to an extended-stay facility.
No press release was provided when this information was announced. If one becomes available, it will be added here.
APRIL 28, 2020 UPDATE from Cass County Health Department
Following the completion of Cass County’s Stay at Home Order on May 3rd, Cass County will be adopting and implementing the guidance from the State of Missouri’s Show-Me Strong Recovery Order, issued by Governor Mike Parson on April 27. Some jurisdictions within the County may be adopting their own COVID-19 orders that may be stricter than the County’s Order.
Per Governor Parson’s order, the guidance in this order will be in effect from 12:00 a.m. on May 4, 2020 through 11:59 p.m. on May 31, 2020.
To read Governor Parson’s full order, click here. For a list of guidelines and frequently asked questions, click here.
APRIL 17, 2020 UPDATE from Cass County Health Department
The Cass County Health Department is heartbroken to announce that it was recently informed, of the sixth death of a Cass County resident due to COVID-19. The individual was an 81-year-old male from Belton. The case was travel-related.
No press release was provided when this information was announced. If one becomes available, it will be added here.
APRIL 16, 2020 UPDATE from Missouri Governor Mike Parson
Today, Governor Mike Parson extended the statewide “Stay Home Missouri” Order through May 3, 2020, and announced the state’s initial framework to help Missouri safely and gradually move into the recovery phase of COVID-19.
“We are seeing very early signs in the data leading us to be cautiously optimist that Missouri is beginning to slow the course of the infection and see improvement, even in our hardest hit areas like St. Louis and Kansas City,” Governor Parson said. “Today, I am extending the ‘Stay Home Missouri’ Order through Sunday, May 3, so we can prepare to reopen the economy and get Missourians back to work.”
Click here to read the Governor’s full order.
APRIL 16, 2020 UPDATE from Cass County Health Department
The Cass County Health Department is heartbroken to announce that it was recently informed, of the fifth death of a Cass County resident due to COVID-19. The individual was associated with a long-term-care facility.
No press release was provided when this information was announced. If one becomes available, it will be added here.
APRIL 13, 2020 UPDATE from Cass County Health Department
The Cass County Health Department is heartbroken to announce that it was recently informed, of the third and fourth deaths of Cass County residents due to COVID-19. Both individuals were associated with a long-term-care facility.
No press release was provided when this information was announced. If one becomes available, it will be added here.
APRIL 10, 2020 UPDATE from Cass County Health Department
The Cass County Health Department is heartbroken to announce that it was informed on April 10, 2020, of the second death of a Cass County resident due to COVID-19. The Harrisonville resident was a female in her late 80s. She tested positive for COVID-19 on April 7 2020. The case was not travel-related, the woman did have underlying health conditions and was associated with a long-term-care facility.
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.