Jefferson County Health Department updated their reports today to reflect six additional COVID-19 deaths. These deaths occurred over the last several weeks in September and October. These updates bring the total of COVID-19 deaths in Jefferson County to 84.
All six deaths reported were based in the community. The residents were:
Male 50’s
Male, 60’s
Female 60’s
Female, 70’s
2 Males, 80’s
Jefferson County Health Department had been temporarily unable to update death statistics due to a recent rule implemented by the State of Missouri. Prior to this change, JCHD was able to access vital records information to identify and confirm COVID-19 deaths in the county as part of a review of medical records. The new rules have discontinued this practice for locals.
Death certificates are now sent from the state to the federal level to ensure consistent coding of death data. CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) receives vital statistics data from all states and provides ICD-10 coding in a returned data file. NCHS coders provide continuity in reporting based on the literal fields contained in submitted death certificate data. This has increased the length of time it takes for locals to identify and report deaths, particularly that are community based.
Jefferson County Health Department continues to strongly encourage preventative measures such as hand washing, physical distancing, wearing a mask, and staying home if you are sick. “We urge the community to unite for the greater good and support each other as we work together to reduce the impact of COVID-19,” states Director Vollmar.
Jefferson County Health Department will be post COVID-19 death information on their dashboard once a week on Wednesday as reports are updated from the state. For the latest updates and more information about COVID-19, visit Jefferson County Health Department website www.jeffcohealth.org.