Birx: Missouri should consider mask order for counties with 20 plus COVID-19 cases

The Trump administration’s coronavirus response coordinator praised Missouri’s “box-in” strategy for handling COVID-19 outbreaks Tuesday, but recommended that the state consider a mask order for all counties with more than 20 active cases.

Dr. Deborah Birx joined Gov. Mike Parson for a late-morning press briefing after participating in a COVID-19 roundtable with state officials at the Governor’s Mansion.

Parson has rejected calls to impose a statewide mask order, accusing the media of making masking a political issue and saying Missourians who “don’t want to wear a mask should have every right not to wear one.”

Birx reiterated that masking is a matter of public health for Missourians no matter their politics.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or a Republican. You need to wear a mask and socially distance,” she said.

All but nine of Missouri’s 114 counties have had at least 20 confirmed cases.

In his remarks, Parson did not directly address Birx’s recommendation. He reprised his longstanding opposition to statewide regulation and advocacy for personal responsibility.

“There is no one-size-fits-all approach,” Parson said of the state’s COVID-19 safety regulations. “Missouri is extremely diverse and communities across the state all have different needs.

“All of Missouri’s high-risk areas have mask mandates in place, and I support local leaders in that decision.”

Birx said Missouri could learn from states like Texas that have found alternatives to statewide masking orders.

“What I discussed with the governor is what I think is an excellent example from Texas, who had similar very rural areas that were not impacted as greatly as some of the more urban areas and small metro areas,” Birx said.

Last month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott mandated face masks for all counties with 20 or more active cases.

Birx noted that statewide mandates are “easier” but stopped short of criticizing Parson’s approach.

“Every public health official anywhere in the country will tell you it’s easier to have a statewide mask mandate, but in this case . . . if you can get 100% of the retailers to require masks, as we saw in Branson and as we saw in some of the other smaller communities, it sends the message to the community that masks are important,” Birx said.

In an email statement, Lauren Gepford, executive director of the Missouri Democratic Party, called on Parson to “stop playing politics and start listening to the experts who are urging him to put in place a mask rule that will protect Missourians.”

Birx was in Kansas City, Kansas, on Saturday, where she met with Gov. Laura Kelly and other officials. Kansas has had a statewide mask mandate in place since early July and Birx did not publicly suggest that the state consider changing its safety regulations.

Birx lauded Missouri’s “box-in” strategy, which consists of comprehensive testing, isolating infected people and locating all their contacts to have them self-isolate for 14 days.

“This box-in strategy that has been being used here in Missouri, I think really is an important example of how to really protect vulnerable individuals,” Birx said.

Missouri has had 69,417 COVID-19 cases and 1,402 deaths, according to the department of health and senior services. Parson elected to fully reopen the state in mid-June.

Birx, who is currently on a tour of Midwest states, characterized all the governors she’s met as “fiercely loyal” to their constituents. She said she hasn’t seen any of them prioritize business interests over public health in deciding to reopen.