Following a significant increase in coronavirus cases throughout the Southeast Missouri region, the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center held a press conference this morning.
Case counts have been increasing exponentially over the past month and especially over the past two weeks; Cape County is currently at 4,210 cases. 76% of those have recovered, with 60 deaths, and 940 active cases. 154 new cases were reported on Wednesday, and 127 new cases reported Thursday.
Maryann Reese, president and CEO of St. Francis Healthcare System, says she has been pleading with the community since March to wear a mask, wash their hands, and social distance. Reese says she hesitated when invited to address the public this morning, because she doubted what she had to say again could really make a difference.
“What else could I possibly contribute to what has already been said about keeping our community safe and keeping the colleagues at both hospitals and the physicians at both hospitals safe?” said Reese.
Reese also shared a poem she penned herself, which serves as a request from COVID-19 healthcare workers as a whole.
“You see who the coronavirus has spared,” said Reese. “We see the sick and gasping for air.”
Reese went on to explain that with liberty comes responsibility, instead, she sees fear and hostility.
“We have the right to not wear a mask, but I beg you, it’s such an easy task,” Reese said.
Dr. John Russel, medical director and consultant for the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, reminded the public that we are currently in a third surge of COVID-19 across the country, and that the region has lost some of its behavior as it relates to social distancing.
“Certainly part of what we’re seeing with this wave is the result of COVID fatigue,” said Russel. “But you have to understand [that] the more people in a community that are infected, the more people that will become infected.”
Russel says the only way to stop it is to take personal responsibility, respect the virus, and not put yourself and others at risk needlessly.