St. Louis County reports fourth confirmed coronavirus case

A fourth person has tested positive for coronavirus in St. Louis County.

The St. Louis County Department of Public Health announced the confirmed case on Tuesday evening. In a news release, the department said the patient is in the age range of 60 to 70 years old.

The department said it is still investigating whether the patient received COVID-19 from travel or from community spread. Anyone identified during the investigation as a close contact or at risk of exposure to this patient will be contacted directly by the department, the release stated.

The first confirmed case of the virus in St. Louis County was on March 7, the second on March 13 and the third on March 16.

Anyone experiencing symptoms of a fever, cough or difficulty breathing and have reason to believe they have encountered a person infected with COVID-19 can call the St. Louis County Health Line at 314-615-2660 in Missouri and the state hotline at 1-800-889-3931 in Illinois.

This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 7:15 PM.

Hana Muslic

Belleville News-Democrat

618-239-2626

Hana Muslic has been a public safety reporter for the Belleville News-Democrat since August 2018, covering everything from crime and courts to accidents, fires and natural disasters. She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Journalism and her previous work can be found in The Lincoln Journal-Star and The Kansas City Star.