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<p style="font-weight:bold; display: inline; line-height:150%; font-size: 115%;">P.O. BOX 6015 COLUMBIA, MO 65205</p></div>
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<p style="font-size: 150%; font-weight: bold;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</p>
<p style="font-size: 120%; margin-top: -5px; font-weight:bold;">March 20, 2020</p>
<p style="float:right; font-weight:bold; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 100%; text-align:right;">CONTACT: Steven Sapp
<br />Director of Community Relations
<br />City of Columbia
<br />Steven.Sapp@CoMo.gov</p>
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<div style="font-size: 110%; line-height:150%;"><h1 style="clear:both; margin-top: 75px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 130%;">City of Columbia coronavirus (COVID-19) update - new positive cases, transit fares suspended, changes to City facility access and operations - Friday, March 20 at 5 p.m.</h1>
<div class="content"><span style="padding-left: 50px;">(COLUMBIA, MO)</span> - The City of Columbia will provide regular updates related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) to provide residents and media partners with information about the number of cases, health resources and changes to City operations and services. Official information from the City of Columbia and Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services (PHHS) can be found at <a href="https://www.como.gov/coronavirus/" target="_blank">CoMo.gov/Coronavirus</a>. The City will also be utilizing City and PHHS official social media accounts to post updates. They can be found at @CoMoGov on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CoMoGov/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/CoMoGov" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and @CoMoHealthDept on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CoMoHealthDept" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and @CoMo_HealthDept on <a href="https://twitter.com/CoMo_HealthDept" target="_blank">Twit
ter</a>.<br /><br /><strong>Friday, March 20 summary</strong><br />The number of positive cases has increased in Boone County. At the time of publishing, there were five additional positive cases bringing the total to eight. Transit fares have been suspended until May 1, 2020. Public access to City facilities and operations have been limited. Please see more information below. <br /><br /><strong>Cases in Boone County</strong><br />
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<td style="width: 107px; text-align: center;">Total positive cases</td>
<td style="width: 85.6px; text-align: center;">Deaths</td>
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<td style="width: 107px; text-align: center;">8</td>
<td style="width: 85.6px; text-align: center;">1</td>
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*Numbers current as of March 20 at 5 p.m.<br /><br /><strong>Health messages</strong><br />Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services will be doing a Facebook Live series Monday through Friday starting at 12:15 p.m. Ask your coronavirus-related questions live by visiting their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CoMoHealthDept" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page. Residents who have questions over the weekend are encouraged to call the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services statewide public hotline for residents or healthcare providers needing guidance regarding COVID-19 at 877.435.8411 or email <a href="mailto: Coronavirus@CoMo.gov">Coronavirus@CoMo.gov</a>. <br /><br />The Heart of Missouri United Way, Community Foundation of Central Missouri, City of Columbia and Boone County launched <a href="http://www.CoMoHelps.org">CoMoHelps.org</a> to enable community members to make donations and sign up as volunteers to assist nonprofits as part of the l
ocal response to coronavirus (COVID-19). Read the press release here: <a href="https://bit.ly/3a9ABN8" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/3a9ABN8</a>.<br /><br /><strong>Changes to City services</strong><br />As of Friday, March 20, Go COMO, the City of Columbia’s public transit system, suspended all fares, including para-transit, until May 1, 2020. Passengers are encouraged to practice social distancing. Go COMO currently has hand sanitizer on every bus for passengers to use, and disinfectant spray is used to regularly clean all handholds and stainless steel. The floors of the buses are also thoroughly cleaned daily. <br /><br />To help protect the health of residents and City employees, changes are being made to public access to City buildings and operations beginning Monday, March 23, at 8 a.m. The press release has sections related to access at City facilities, followed by information about how to continue conducting business with City departments. View the press
release here: <a href="https://bit.ly/33xq5wS" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/33xq5wS</a>.</div>
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<em>Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.</em></p>
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<em>To serve the public through democratic, transparent and efficient government.</em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;">-30-</p>
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