The number of coronavirus cases continued to increase throughout Missouri over the weekend. K R P S’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

According to the COVID 19 dashboard that you can view at ShowMeStrong.mo.gov, the state of Missouri has added over 26,000 new coronavirus cases in the past week. That’s a daily average of over 3,700. Last week was of particular significance in Jasper county, where the county health department reported on Thursday and Friday the two highest daily increases in cases since the pandemic reached Missouri the first week of March. The county reported 95 new cases on Thursday, followed by 93 cases on Friday. Currently, Jasper county reports 453 active COVID 19 cases, with an over 21 percent increase in cases over the past week. Also, Jasper county is in a tie with 3 other Missouri counties for the 4th highest positive rate in the state, with 24. The virus has contributed to the deaths of 64 Jasper country residents.