Missouri adds more than 1,300 coronavirus cases on Wednesday

O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) — Missouri health officials added 1,362 COVID-19 cases to the state’s confirmed total on Wednesday as the number of people known to have contracted the virus reached 96,475.

The actual number is likely higher because some people who have the coronavirus do not have symptoms and testing has not been widespread, especially at the start of the pandemic.

The Department of Health and Senior Services also reported 12 more deaths over the last 24 hours, bringing the state’s coronavirus death toll to 1,673.

Two Catholic grade schools in St. Louis County will close for two weeks after a staff member who travels between them had a presumed-positive case of COVID-19, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

St. Louis County health officials recommended the temporary closures. Students will attend classes virtually while the schools are cleaned, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of St. Louis said.