ST. LOUIS, MO — State health officials say eight people in Missouri have now tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, including the first case in St. Louis City.

The first case in the state, a woman in her 20s who recently returned from studying abroad in Italy was identified in St. Louis County last week. A springfield man in his 20s who recently traveled to Austria followed on March 12. The St. Louis County Health Department says the state's third case was related to domestic travel and involves a St. Louis County resident between 50 and 60 years old. That case is unrelated to the first identified in St. Louis County.

The fourth case in Missouri was a person in Henry County who was hospitalized at Golden Valley Memorial Hospital in Clinton before being transferred to another facility on March 8, state health officials said. A fifth case was confirmed Saturday in Greene County. Officials say that case is also travel-related. The sixth case, also in Greene County, was confirmed Sunday, but no details were immediately available. On Monday, state health officials confirmed two more cases, a third in Greene County and the first in St. Louis City.

The case in St. Louis City was announced at a press conference Monday evening. Frederick Echols, the director of the St. Louis Health Department, said the city's first case was a student in their 20s who also recently returned from studying abroad in a county with ongoing transmission of the virus. The student sought medical attention almost immediately, but a diagnosis was delayed because he or she did not meet the CDC's guidelines for testing, Echols said.

Officials at St. Louis University confirmed the student is enrolled there. They are being quarantined at home. St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said local health officials need more test kits and more lab capacity to meet growing demand as the virus spreads. According to health officials, 215 individuals have been tested for the coronavirus statewide as of Saturday evening. Of those tests, 207 have been negative. Eight have been positive. So far, all of the tests have been conducted by the Missouri State Public Health Laboratory, which is no longer required to send positive samples to the CDC for confirmation, state health officials said. Private testing is expected to be available soon. Gov. Mike Parson declared a state of emergency across Missouri Friday evening, calling it "the next appropriate step to protect public health." St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson declared a public health emergency Thursday. Earlier on Friday, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page declared a countywide state of emergency. And President Donald Trump declared a national emergency Friday afternoon.

