On Wednesday March 30, 2022, Governor Parson Announces End to COVID-19 Crisis in Missouri  and that the state will be shifting to an endemic phase of the pandemic on Friday, April 1, 2022. 

A whole-of-government COVID-19 emergency response was taken for more than two years, an effort that responded to the needs of all Missourians during the global pandemic and sustained state operations as more was learned about the novel virus. Vaccines, testing resources, and treatments are now readily available for all Missourians, and much of the population now has some immunity to the virus.  “Over the past two years, we have learned a lot that will help us respond to future outbreaks and challenges that may come our way,” Governor Parson said. “We don’t know if this virus will ever completely go away, but we do know that there is no longer a need to live in crisis mode and that we can shift our response to meet the current needs of Missourians. The COVID-19 crisis is over in the state of Missouri, and we are moving on.” 

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, is expected to continue to circulate in communities, meaning it will be considered endemic like many other diseases. The endemicity also means that surveillance priority will change from monitoring case numbers to monitoring disease severity and societal impact as new waves of infection come and go. This transition does not minimize the continued importance of public health surveillance, investigation, and response activities, as is necessary to mitigate any disease.  “As we enter this phase of our state’s recovery, we continue to encourage Missourians to safeguard their own health and the health of loved ones through tried and true public health measures,” said Department of Health and Senior Services Acting Director Paula Nickelson. “Missourians should feel confident that we will remain vigilant when monitoring COVID-19 levels throughout the state.”

Over the past two years, the state was able to achieve some incredible milestones in responding to COVID-19:
    *Testing Capacity
    *More than 14 million tests performed by public health partners
    *Treatment Options
    *More than 81,000 treatment courses distributed by the State of Missouri
    *Vaccine Availability
    *More than 8.7 million doses administered by public health partners

In addition to vaccines, testing, and treatment options, which are some of the most effective tools to fight COVID-19, Missouri has expanded capabilities over the past two years in areas of personal protective equipment (PPE), hospital capacity, and data collection. These capabilities allow Missouri to adapt to changing needs regarding COVID-19 in the future.  Missouri’s approach moving forward will allow state and local health officials to closely monitor community level of COVID-19, determine which variants of SARS-CoV-2 are circulating through the genomic surveillance, and assess disease severity and impact of COVID-19-associated illnesses.

COVID Data Tracking

The Department of Health and Senior Services provides weekly dashboard updates that includes 7-day case rate data, activity by region and county, statewide data on COVID-19 hospitalizations, and circulating virus variants. This is a flexible approach allowing accommodation for future surges, should they occur, and require more frequent updates and additional datasets.

If you would like more information about Butler County's COVID Health Metrics visit: https://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/communicable/novel-coronavirus/data/public-health/health-metrics/county.php

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a COVID data tracker that reflects daily updates in regards to number of COVID cases, deaths, hospitalizations, and vaccinations in the United States. To view this information, please visit: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home.

Coronavirus Testing 
The Butler County Health Department is offering free COVID testing for those who are showing symptoms. If you are not symptomatic, please do not make an appointment. Scheduled Rapid Testing will be done every Wednesday by appointment only. To schedule a test, please click the "Book Now", icon above. 

Showing up on a day you are not scheduled will result in not receiving a test until your scheduled appointment.
If you choose to retest somewhere else, PLEASE, cancel your existing appointment.

COVID Testing and Vaccine Locations:

Location	Testing Information	Vaccine Information
Butler County Health Department  (573) 785-8478  1619 N. Main St,   Poplar Bluff, MO 63901	Rapid testing is available, at no cost, every Wednesday, by appointment only. To schedule an appointment please visit: https://novelhealth.ai/practice/butler-county-health-department-99269https://book.appointment-plus.com/ck5qbl8x/	The Pfizer vaccine is available (1st and 2nd dose).  Bivalent boosters are available.  The Novavax vaccine is available to ages 12y and older, however, there are no boosters available for this vaccine at this time.   Appointments are available every Friday from 8AM - 3:30PM. To schedule an appointment, please call 573-785-8478.
Walmart Neighborhood Market Pharmacy  (573) 772-7164  3001 Oak Grove Rd,   Poplar Bluff, MO 63901	At-home tests available for $19.88 + tax  Drive-thru testing is available by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, please visit: https://myquest.questdiagnostics.com/web/home Drive-thru tests are typically covered by the patient’s insurance provider. The out-of-pocket cost of a rapid test is $70 and $125 for a regular test.	The Pfizer vaccine is available (1st and 2nd dose).  The Moderna vaccine is available (1st and 2nd dose).  The boosters are currently not available at this location.   The Novavax vaccine is currently not available at this location.   To schedule an appointment, please visit: https://www.walmart.com/cp/flu-shots-immunizations/1228302
Walgreens Pharmacy  (573) 776-1476  110 N Westwood Blvd,   Poplar Bluff, MO 63901	At-home tests are available. Insurance providers will typically cover the cost of at-home tests. Out-of-pocket costs for a two-pack test are $23.99 + tax and $9.99 + tax for a single test.   Drive-thru testing is available by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, please visit: https://www.walgreens.com/topic/promotion/covid-testing.jsp  Drive-thru tests are typically covered by the patient’s insurance provider. The out-of-pocket cost for a COVID test is $126.	The Pfizer vaccine is available (1st and 2nd dose).  The Moderna vaccine is available (1st and 2nd dose).  Bivalent boosters are available.  The Novavax vaccine is currently not available at this location.   To schedule an appointment, please visit: https://www.walgreens.com/topic/promotion/covid-vaccine.jsp
Key Drugs  (573) 785-8218  910 N Westwood Blvd,   Poplar Bluff, MO 63901	At-home tests are available. Some insurance providers will cover the cost of at-home tests. Out-of-pocket costs for a single test are $9.98 + tax.   Testing is available at this location by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, please call 573-785-8218.   The cost for antigen testing is $75 and $125 for the PCR test. (Insurance coverage is not available for either of these tests at this location).	The Pfizer vaccine is available (1st and 2nd dose).  The Moderna vaccine is available (1st and 2nd dose).  Bivalent boosters are available.  The Novavax vaccine is currently not available at this location.  To schedule an appointment, please call 573-785-8218.
John’s Pharmacy  (573) 785-0984  909 W Pine St,   Poplar Bluff, MO 63901	At-home tests are available. Insurance providers will typically cover the costs of at-home tests. If the insurance does not cover the cost, then the pharmacy will provide the test to patients free of charge.   Testing is available at this location by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, please visit: https://www.johnsrx.com/covid-19/  The cost for antigen testing is $50 and $175 for the PCR test. (Insurance coverage is not available for either of these tests at this location).	The Pfizer vaccine is available (1st and 2nd dose).  The Moderna vaccine is available (1st and 2nd dose).  Bivalent boosters are available.  The Novavax vaccine is currently not available at this location.   To schedule an appointment, please visit: https://www.johnsrx.com/covid-19-vaccine/
CVS Pharmacy  (573) 785-7582  225 N Westwood Blvd,   Poplar Bluff, MO 63901	At-home tests are available for purchase at this location. Out-of-pocket costs for a two-pack test are $23.99 + tax and $9.99 + tax for a single test.  This location does not offer COVID testing at this time.	The Pfizer vaccine is currently not available at this location.   The Moderna vaccine is available (1st and 2nd dose).   The boosters are currently not available at this location.   The Novavax vaccine is currently not available at this location.   To schedule an appointment, please visit: https://www.cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine?icid=coronavirus-lp-nav-vaccine

MO Department of Health and Senior Services offers at-home test that can be shipped to any individual in the state of Missouri. Click here and complete the form. The COVID19 test kit will be shipped to your home free of charge.  

The federal at-home testing kit program offers a quick and easy way to retrieve free tests for every residential address in the United States. Simply visit Covidtests.gov to submit your request (limit 4 tests per address).

Self-Reporting

Many locations are now offering at-home COVID tests. Although at-home tests provide patients with a safe, quick, and easy method in discovering whether or not he or she may have COVID, they also cause a lack of information regarding current COVID cases due to interference with the reporting of daily trends. The Butler County Health Department strongly urges anyone who administers an at-home test and receives a positive result to report their results to our facility. This assists with sustaining accuracy among daily COVID trends in addition to providing the community with updated information regarding current cases. To report a positive COVID test, please call our facility at 573-785-8478. Your assistance in keeping our community informed is appreciated! 

Immunocompromised

Moderately to severely immunocompromised is due to a medical condition or combination of immunosuppressive medication or treatments including but not limited to the following:

• Immunocompromised due to solid organ transplant and taking immune suppressing medications
• Immunocompromised due to active treatment for solid tumor and hematologic malignancies
• Immune compromised due to Receipt of CAR-T cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within 2 years of transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy)
• Moderate to severe primary immunodeficiency (eg., DiGeorge, Wiskott-Aldrich Syndromes)
• Immunocompromised due to Advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Immunocompromised due to “Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress immune response: high dose corticosteroids (ie.,≥ 20 mg prednisone or equivalent per day), alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, tumor-necrosis (TNF) blocker or other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory”

In line with federal guidelines, Missouri uses a self-attestation model for individuals seeking a third dose. Individuals will not be required to provide documentation of their health status, and they can get third doses at all venues where first and second doses are available 

Self-attestation form for third doses (immunocompromised)

Current Available Vaccines in the United States:

It is important to understand which vaccine is right for you. There are currently four FDA approved COVID vaccines available which include:

1. Pfizer-BioNTech (mRNA vaccine)
2. Moderna (mRNA vaccine)
3. Novavax (protein subunit vaccine)
4. Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (viral vector vaccine)

Information and resources regarding each vaccine which includes a list of ingredients and the purpose of each ingredient can be found here. It is important to stay up-to-date with COVID vaccines which may include a series of boosters depending on which vaccine has been administered. For more information regarding boosters and staying up-to-date, click here.