Noting the uptick in COVID cases, Cape Girardeau County Emergency Management Agency director Mark Winkler said Thursday the county has become a "hotter spot" for COVID-19 in Missouri -- as the county's test-positivity rate has risen to 15.2%, higher than the statewide average of 12%.

In a report to the Cape Girardeau County Commission, Winkler noted an estimated 1,200 vaccinations have been given in Cape Girardeau County in the last week. Inoculation rates for the coronavirus continue to lag Show Me State numbers.

Statewide, 51.8% of eligible Missourians have received one COVID-19 vaccine dose while in Cape Girardeau County, the single dose rate is 43.8%.

The current two-dose, or fully vaccinated, figure is 45.1% statewide. In Cape Girardeau County, it is 37.7%.

After hearing Winkler's report, produced by the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, Presiding Commissioner Clinton D. Tracy suggested COVID numbers are not likely to improve in the short-term given the crowds generated by the recent Aug. 10 to 13 Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo and the expected attendance at the upcoming Sept. 11 to 18 SEMO District Fair at Cape Girardeau's Arena Park. Tracy also noted the reopening of schools late last month in his brief remarks.

The Cape Girardeau School District on Tuesday reimplemented a mask mandate for its teachers, staff and the 4,475-pupil student body.

Southeast Missouri State University has reimposed an indoor face covering requirement on campus for all people, vaccinated and unvaccinated, until at least Sept. 16, when the policy will be reevaluated.

The county's public health center website continues to recommend the public follow the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for vaccination and masking.

Archive grant

Commissioners gave unanimous approval to the county's archives center to use the proceeds of a $12,000 grant from Missouri Secretary of State's local records program to buy additional shelving.

The center, built in 2000 at 112 E. Washington St. in Jackson, will continue to use existing shelving and will use the state award to buy 233 new shelves at a per-unit cost of $51.45 from Janesville, Wisconsin-based Grainger, according to the center's director, Marybeth Niederkorn.

"Some boxes in the archive are stacked two or three tall, complicating retrieval and leading to boxes degrading, potentially failing," Niederkorn said, calling the situation a safety concern and a preservation issue.

"As more and more county office records have been generated and designated for storage, the need to add shelves became apparent."

Grainger was the lowest of three bids received and Niederkorn said there will be no shipping cost to the county.

Other action

The Commission gave approval to St. Genevieve's Jokerst Inc., a paving contractor, for grading improvements on County Road 525. Five companies submitted offers and Jokerst's $197,371 proposal was the lowest received. First District Commissioner Paul E. Koeper said Proposition 1 funds will be tapped to pay for the project.