Missouri hospitals see glimmer of hope in COVID-19 stats

December 30, 2020 at 6:05 a.m. | Updated December 30, 2020 at 11:50 a.m.

by Associated Press

FILE - This electron microscope image made available and color-enhanced by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Integrated Research Facility in Fort Detrick, Md., in 2020, shows Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, orange, isolated from a patient. One of COVID-19's scariest mysteries is why some people are mildly ill or have no symptoms and others rapidly die — and scientists are starting to unravel why. (NIAID/National Institutes of Health via AP)
FILE - This electron microscope image made available and color-enhanced by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Integrated Research Facility in Fort Detrick, Md., in 2020, shows Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, orange, isolated from a patient. One of COVID-19's scariest mysteries is why some people are mildly ill or have no symptoms and others rapidly die — and scientists are starting to unravel why. (NIAID/National Institutes of Health via AP)

Missouri hospitals are beginning to see a glimmer of hope as new cases of COVID-19 decline, but the possibility of a post-holiday surge is keeping them on edge.

State health officials reported the rolling seven-day average of cases was 1,816, down from a peak of 4,723 on Nov. 20.

Dr. Alex Garza, who leads the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force, described the situation as "encouraging" in a media briefing Monday, although his enthusiasm was tempered.

"We have a lot of patients in the hospitals right now, so any bump-up that we have from a holiday surge could put us right back into those areas where we don't want to be, where we are stretching our staff way too thin," he said. "The fact is that COVID is not going to go away over the holidays. It won't leave when 2020 leaves either."

On Tuesday alone, the state added 2,479 more coronavirus cases and 117 more deaths, bringing Missouri's totals since the pandemic began to 383,616 confirmed cases and 5,316 deaths. State health officials said 97 of the deaths were added as the result of a review of death certificates, with 32 of them dating back to November.