COVID-19 news: Missouri governor unveils reopening plan with 7,171 cases reported
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has disclosed details of his reopening plan, including an end to a ban on large gatherings and exemption of certain businesses from social distancing requirements put in place to combat the spread of the new coronavirus.
The specifics came as the number of cases in Missouri climbed past 7,000.
Across the state, 7,171 people have tested positive for COVID-19 and 288 people have died. With a total of 73,371 patients having been tested, the positive test rate is about 9%
The statewide stay-at-home order runs through May 3.
According to Parson’s plan, most businesses, including gyms and fitness clubs, will be required to adhere to certain guidelines, such as maintaining six feet of space between individuals. But those rules will not apply to people in jobs that require closer contact, such as those working in barber and cosmetology shops, hair salons and tattoo parlors.
In those cases, Parson’s order will leave it up to the individual businesses to implement safety measures for employees and customers.
Some businesses, such as retail locations, will face occupancy limits. Restaurants will be allowed to resume dine-in service as long as tables and seating are spaced according to social distance requirements.
Local governments are still permitted to enact stricter parameters for business. For example, stay-at-home orders in Kansas City and Jackson County remain in place until May 15 and will not be impacted by the governor’s actions.
Officials have grappled with when and how to reopen as they have weighed public health with bleak economic conditions brought on by the pandemic.
Kansas and Missouri are both staring at massive budget holes after the coronavirus sent sales and income tax revenues plummeting.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, has called on Congress to “backfill some of the revenue shortfalls that everybody’s experiencing,” similar to what was done during the Great Recession.
Each state has received at least $1.25 billion in coronavirus aid from the federal government to help it pay for expenses related to the pandemic. But the aid comes with strict guidelines that state it “may not be used to fill shortfalls in government revenue.”
In contrast to Kelly in Kansas, Parson, a Republican, hasn’t called for federal aid to fill the shortfall.
Kansas has reported 3,328 cases including 120 deaths. With 23,839 negative tests, the positive test rate is about 12%. Kansas’ statewide order also expires at 11:59 p.m. May 3.
On Tuesday, experts at the University of Washington increased the prediction for U.S. deaths from 67,600 to 74,000.
Reporters Bryan Lowry, Jonathan Shorman and Jason Hancock contributed to this story.
