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The Springfield-Greene County Health Department has announced a potential public COVID-19 exposure in Republic. The department said today that one patient who has tested positive for the coronavirus “visited the Lowe’s in Republic on March 25 in the afternoon while contagious.” That’s the day before a county-wide stay-at-home order went into effect. Another potential public exposure announced today happened at the Walmart Supercenter at Kearney and Glenstone in Springfield.
Public Health Information Administrator Kathryn Wall said anyone who visited the store that afternoon should monitor for symptoms, but does not need to self-quarantine or isolate in a room away from others.
“Anyone who was at one of the locations disclosed on these dates are at low risk for contracting COVID-19, but should monitor for symptoms,” she said. “There is no need to self-quarantine or isolate unless symptoms develop.”
Wall reminds people to call ahead before visiting their doctor if they do begin to experience symptoms. Those symptoms include cough, fever and shortness of breath.
“If you are sick, you can use virtual care options to seek medical treatment without exposing others to illness,” Wall said. Links are available health.springfieldmo.gov/coronavirus
“This is an important reminder that we should all be staying at home as much as possible,” a Health Department news release said. “When we do go out for essential functions, we should be interacting with our environment as if the people around us are sick—or better yet, we should be operating during this time as if we might be sick.”