The first case of COVID-19 in Randolph County is a family member of a sheriff’s deputy, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office stated Tuesday.

The patient and their family members have been in quarantine since Saturday and the health department has been working to trace contacts over the past two weeks, said Craig Parsons, Health Department deputy administrator.

Hours after the first COVID-19 case was confirmed, the county commission announced a stay-at-home order for all county residents.

Though there has only been one case confirmed by the health department, the Moberly School District issued a statement that a district official had tested positive for the virus.

There were approximately 184 cases of coronavirus in Missouri as of early Tuesday, including the Randolph County case and 20 in Boone County, according to a Monday afternoon report from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The health department’s communicable disease nurse and DHSS are working to determine who the patient may have come into contact with over the past two weeks, Parsons said. Those who have been in contact with the patient will be contacted by the health department so they are notified of the potential exposure and necessary steps for self-monitoring and quarantining.

The deputy will be tested as well, said Sheriff Mark Nichols. So far, no other department employees have been tested, he said.

The case was confirmed through a private test at Boone Hospital. The patient does not have regular contact with the public, Parsons said.

There have also been reports of people calling and pretending to be the Health Department and offering to come to their homes for testing, Parsons said. This is not an approved practice and all testing will be done at a clinic or hospital setting, he said.

ecliburn@moberlymonitor.com