St. Louis County reports third coronavirus-related death
A third person has died from coronavirus complications in St. Louis County.
The patient, a woman in her 50s, had chronic medical conditions, the St. Louis County Department of Public Health said in a news release Tuesday.
“(The department) has been closely monitoring this outbreak and has done so with the limitations in our public health and health care systems’ capacity to obtain notifications as rapidly as we would like,” the release stated. “The health care community is working together to ensure the most expeditious notification processes.”
Starting Tuesday, the department will require any laboratory company or health care provider who receives a positive test result for COVID-19 to report that finding to it immediately - no later than six hours after notification of the result. Additionally, health care providers will be required to report a death to the department if that death is related to complications from COVID-19 - no later than 24 hours after the time of such death.
“These changes should expedite the process and minimize confusion, while continuing to provide the public with the best information available,” the release stated.
As of Tuesday evening, St. Louis County had 492 confirmed cases of the virus.
The City of St. Louis had 136 positive cases and one death announced on March 23.
This story was originally published March 31, 2020 at 12:26 PM.
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