Schools and hospitals throughout the Springfield Metro are struggling to remain functional as the Omicron COVID-19 variant makes it way through the community.
The Springfield-Greene County Health Department reported 912 positive cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, with the percentage of tests coming back positive approaching 50%.
CoxHealth CEO Steve Edwards said they received nearly 900 positive COVID tests yesterday due to Omicron. The highest single day total with the Delta variant was just under 200.
The sudden rise in cases has caused Springfield Public Schools to close until Monday, and possibly beyond if cases continue to grow. Superintendent for SPS Dr. Grenita Lathan said the District documented over 850 cases of COVID-19 last week alone.
Edwards also reported that over 500 employees within the Cox system are out sick, leading to those left working at or beyond capacity. Many within the Cox and Mercy systems believe we have not seen the peak of the Omicron surge in Springfield.