Trump hopes COVID-19 restrictions lifted by Easter. Missouri governor says it’s unlikely
Missouri Gov. MIke Parson Tuesday said that while he hopes President Donald Trump is correct that the many restrictions enacted to combat COVID-19 can be lifted in the coming weeks, he has no illusions that the crisis will be over soon.
“I hope the president is right,” Parson said Tuesday, “but the reality is we are planning this much longer than two weeks here in the state of Missouri.”
The break from Trump is significant for Parson, a staunch ally of the president who thus far has largely followed the White House’s lead on responding to the pandemic.
Earlier in the day, President Donald Trump said he hopes to scale back COVID-19 countermeasures, defying the advice of public health officials who argue they are needed to avoid increasing the number of infected and overwhelming the health care system.
“I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter,” he said during a Fox News virtual town hall.
Easter is a little more than two weeks away.
His comments came as the U.S. saw its biggest jump yet in the death toll from the virus, with 609 fatalities attributed to COVID-19 since the outbreak began.
In Missouri, six people have died, including a 30-year-old woman from St. Louis.
Parson emphasized the need to continue social distancing, as reflected in his recent order banning gatherings of more than 10 people.
“It’s gonna take people abiding by the laws and abiding by the orders to get to where we can move on from this,” he said, later adding: “It is crucial to follow the order on social distancing as much as possible. If it is not absolutely necessary to go out, stay at home. Whether you personally think so or not, this is serious. And you’re putting not only our own health in jeopardy, but the health of everyone around you in jeopardy.”
Until Tuesday, there had been little daylight between Parson and Trump on the virus.
On March 12, for example, Parson downplayed the government’s role in dealing with COVID-19, telling KMOX-AM in St. Louis that “It’s not going to come down to the government to be able to fix this, it’s just gonna come to... it’s a virus, it’s a virus like anything else.”
On the same day, Trump downplayed the risk of continuing to hold large campaign rallies around the country.
The next day, on March 13, both Parson and Trump declared states of emergency over the COVID-19 pandemic.
Parson continues to face criticism for his decision not to issue a statewide stay-at-home order.
Missouri’s urban centers, including Kansas City and St. Louis, are under stay-at-home orders restricting residents to remain in their homes except for essential activities, such as going to the grocery store.
Over the last week, Parson has been urged to follow suit by local officials, public health authorities and doctors.
So far he’s rebuffed those calls, echoing Trump’s message that it could do too much damage to the state’s economy.
“When you start talking about shutting the state down for 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, the effect that has on everyday people is tremendous,” Parson said on Monday. “It means businesses will close. People will lose their jobs. The economy will be in worse shape than ever.”
This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 4:06 PM.
