The Boonville Walmart has had an employee test positive who was symptomatic between October 13 and October 18, 2020.

A news release from Cooper County Public Health Center Administrator Melanie Hutton says the employee is a cashier. Hutton says if you were a customer during that time, the exposure does not meet a close-contact definition.

Hutton says the health department is more concerned about co-workers who may have been exposed through lunch breaks, etc. You can contact the store manager or the Cooper County Public Health Center via its website for additional information.

Go to https://coopercountypublichealth.com/ then click on Contact. Your message will be confidential. You should send your name and e-mail; and under comments, your home address, phone number and add any additional information you believe may be relevant. If you do not have access to the internet, call (660) 882-2626.

To help reduce a potential local outbreak, Hutton urges residents to follow certain instructions.

She says if you are experiencing even one symptom, seek medical care. Hutton says if you are not feeling well; have sore throat; cough; headache; sinus pressure; nausea; vomiting; shortness of breath; difficulty breathing; loss of smell and/or taste; fever; chills; fatigue; diarrhea; and/or backache, you are advised to contact your physician for an order to seek PCR nasal testing in Columbia at either MU, Boone Hospital or Urgent Care clinics. The PCR nasal-swab test is better suited in this event due to the need to receive rapid results.

The Cooper County Public Health Center now offers PCR testing and antibody testing by appointment only. The testing is free and no doctor’s order is needed.

The CDC recommends all individuals get tested if they have been exposed to a known positive case.