Joplin's 23rd COVID-19 death is man in his 70s, number hospitalized increasing

A 79-year-old man is the 23rd COVID-19 death for the City of Joplin, according to a news release issued this afternoon by the Joplin Health Department.

The release described coronavirus as "a significant condition contributing to this death."

The city's COVID-19 dashboard indicates 12 cases were confirmed in the past 24 hours.

Another concerning number is a sharp increase in the number of people who are hospitalized, increasing from 45 to 56 during the reporting period. The number of Joplin residents hospitalized remained at 10.

The number of active cases fell from 190 to 176.