LIBERTY – The percentages for new COVID-19 cases from last week to this week remains high for Clay and Ray counties, though the percentages are moderating for the state and nation, based on numbers released Thursday.

Clay County recorded 145 new cases from week to week, up 9.5%, for a total of 1,657 cases. The county also recorded another death, bringing the total to 40.

Ray County recorded 15 new cases from week to week, an 11.3% increase, for a total of 148 cases. The county has recorded no COVID-19 deaths.

Missouri this week crossed the 100,000-case threshold to 109,000, by 9,125 cases versus a week earlier, or 6.3%. The number of deaths climbed by 95, from 1,743 to 1,838, or 5.45%.

The nation logged about 300,000 more cases over the past week, a 4.77% increase to 6.6 million. The number of deaths increased by 7,113, or 3.7%. The number of deaths stood Thursday morning at 196,831, with a strong likelyhood of passing the 200,000 plateau in the coming week.

Talk continues about a future vaccine, but health officials suggest wearing masks now could save lives now.