(STANBERRY, Mo.) In Gentry County Missouri, health officials are keeping a close eye on Covid 19's spread.

Teresa McDonald with the Tri County Health Department said the county is seeing an increase in cases. 

There have been 487 cases of the virus in the county since the pandemic began, 99 are currently active, 13 people have died.

The county's positivity rate peaked at over 33% in November, one of the highest in the state.

Numbers like these, are putting a strain on the local health care system.

"I know all the hospitals are reaching max capacity," McDonald said. 

Health officials said the Mosaic hospital in Albany is taking patients from the area that require only mild hospital care, others are being transported to St. Joseph.

Health officials remain concerned about their vulnerable populations.

"It gives me great concern for our elderly population people who obviously don't have the immune system to fight it." McDonald said. 

"My age and my health is such if I get it, I'm a dead person," Dolores O'Neal, Stanberry resident said. 

The Missouri National Guard put the county in the spotlight on Friday by bringing it's Covid-19 drive thru testing operation to Stanberry.

O'Neal said it's something everyone should consider.

"I just feel that everyone should be tested," She said. "Its just a war with something you can't see."

Health officials say not everyone in the county in on the same page however, and they feel that will have an impact on the virus' spread.

"Some people take this very seriously some people take think it's still a joke, so I imagine we'll see dips and spikes." McDonald said. 

McDonald cited other challenges the county is facing, she said contact tracing is a challenge because of the high number of cases. Gentry county does not currently have a mask mandate in place.