ST. LOUIS (AP) — Missouri hospitals are beginning to see a glimmer of hope as new cases of COVID-19 decline but the possibility of a post-holiday surge is keeping them on edge. State health officials reported that the rolling seven-day average of cases was 1,816, down from a peak of 4,723 on Nov. 20.  Dr. Alex Garza, who leads the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force, described the situation as “encouraging” in a media briefing Monday. But his enthusiasm was tempered. He said a post-holiday surge “could put us right back into those areas where we don’t want to be, where we are stretching our staff way too thin.”