LEBANON — The Boone County Commissioners on Monday renewed the state of emergency declaration as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The declaration is effective Monday and may expire or be renewed every seven days.
According to the Boone County Health Department, the county has approximately 580 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 50 deaths. New daily cases have increased from an average of 3 to 5 per day during May and June to an average of 9 per day during July.
"Initially, many new cases were attributable to spread in long term care facilities," the health department said in a statement. "More recently, the majority are due to community spread. This is especially concerning due to Boone County schools beginning the new academic year in a matter of weeks."
The declaration will enable county commissioners to designate and set up the Witham Pavilion at the 4-H Fairgrounds as a COVID-19 treatment facility if the need arises. The health department said the declaration enables county officials to respond more efficiently to the COVID-19 situation in the county.
The commissioners and county partners will reconvene every Monday for the time being to determine if a continued declaration is warranted, the health department said.
