JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Another Missouri lawmaker said she has tested positive for COVID-19, as the House called off its session to try to stem an outbreak of the virus in the Capitol building.
The House, which normally would be in session Tuesday, canceled its work for the entire week after learning of coronavirus cases among lawmakers and others in the Capitol. The Senate continued to meet.
State Rep. Kimberly-Ann Collins, a Democrat from St. Louis, said in a Facebook post Monday that she tested positive for the virus and is in isolation. The House Journal indicates she had been present for session last Thursday. Her case comes after Rep. Wes Rogers, a Democrat from Kansas City, tested positive last week, and other lawmakers entered quarantine.
At least 13 Missouri lawmakers have confirmed they came down with COVID-19 over the past year, according to a tally by The Associated Press.
Nationwide, the AP has tallied more than 280 cases among state lawmakers. The actual number likely is higher, because that count only includes cases that have been publicly confirmed.
Missouri has reported 440,197 confirmed cases and 6,263 deaths since the coronavirus pandemic began early last year. The state health department’s COVID-19 dashboard on Tuesday offered some reason for hope: The number of new cases dropped 40% over the past seven days compared to the previous seven-day period, and deaths dropped 50%.
But hospitals across Missouri are still dangerously full. The state dashboard showed that just 22% of in-patient beds were available, and 21% of intensive care unit beds were available.
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