CoxHealth, Mercy Hospital heath officials call for extending Springfield mask ordinance - KYTV

Cox Health President Steve Edwards said the COVID-19 unit the hospital built earlier this year was designed to be a safety valve they hoped they never needed to use.

Now, Edwards said that unit stays very busy, full of patients fighting for their lives.

Brent Hubbard, President and COO of Mercy Springfield Communities said they haven’t seen a significant spike in COVID-19 related deaths this week.

”The masking ordinance has been critical as well and we hope to extend the masking ordinance and that’s passed," Hubbard said.

”It can be prevented if we follow the steps that have been outlined by the CDC, the state health department and the Greene County Health Department," Sistrunk said.

Edwards said masking ordinances in Taney County have had an impact on the number of patients coming in.

“About a month ago Taney County was our most prevalent, we had more patients from Taney County than anywhere else," Edwards said.

”I would encourage people locally that have had COVID-19 in the past that there is a need for donation of convalescent plasma," Sistrunk said.