“Nearly half of (Missouri) counties have not reported positive (COVID-19) cases.”
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Riggs needed more digging on the Missouri counties with COVID-19 cases
If Your Time is short
- 82% of the state’s counties had at least one case by the time Riggs made his claim.
While Missouri’s stay-at-home order has expired, cases have been closely monitored to see whether the state is flattening the curve. Some cities, like Columbia and St. Louis, have extended their stay-at-home regulations.
In a reflection of how the state has been responding to the pandemic, state House Rep. Louis Riggs, R-Hannibal, said on April 21: "Thankfully, we have seen success to date, as nearly half of our counties have not reported positive cases."
Riggs’ estimate was more than a little off.
Cases by county
Data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services on that day show 20 counties without any positive cases, or 18% of 114 counties. The state passed the halfway mark three weeks earlier, on March 30.
Riggs admitted that his error resulted from a quick glance over the department’s map showing the breakdown of cases by county. If a county has between one and six cases it has a light tan color, easy to confuse with the white color of the counties without any cases.
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Riggs said what he should have said was, "nearly 20% with zero cases and half with less than 10," which would be accurate.
As of May 11, 15 counties have not reported any cases of COVID-19.
Our ruling
Riggs said on April 21, "nearly half of our counties have not reported positive cases." Half would be a sharp rounding up from 18%.
Because Riggs’ estimate included counties that did not fall into the correct category we rate his claim False.
Our Sources
The Missouri Times, "Opinion: Pandemics and Freedom — finding a balance," April 21, 2020
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, "COVID-19 Outbreak," March 30, 2020
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, "COVID-19 Outbreak," March 31, 2020
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, "COVID-19 Outbreak," Accessed May 5, 2020
Missouri Governor, "Governor Parson Announces First Phase of "Show Me Strong Recovery" Plan to Begin May 4," April, 27
Email exchange with Louis Riggs, May 4-5, 2020
Email exchange with Lisa Cox for the Department of Health and Senior Services, May 4
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Riggs needed more digging on the Missouri counties with COVID-19 cases
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