Parson poised to further ease Missouri COVID-19 restrictions. Here’s what it might mean
Gov. Mike Parson this afternoon is expected to further loosen restrictions on businesses put in place last month to stem the spread of COVID-19.
Parson, who will address the media at 3 p.m., said Tuesday that the state has exceeded goals he laid out in early May when he announced phase one of his plan to re-open the state’s economy. He said that includes increased testing, improved supplies of personal protective equipment and stable hospital capacity.
“We have not only met these pillars,” he said Tuesday, “but we have exceeded them.”
He declined to provide any details on what the next phase of reopening will look like. The current guidelines are set to expire on Monday.
According to the Department of Health and Senior Services, 15,187 Missourians have tested positive for COVID-19 since early March, with 848 deaths.
The largest concentration of positive cases is in St. Louis County, where 5,160 people have tested positive for the virus. In Kansas City, the total stands at 1,626.
According to state data, hospitalizations in Missouri peaked at just under 1,000 in early May. So far this month, the number of Missourians hospitalized for COVID-19 has hovered around 600.
The number of tests performed has remained somewhat stable over the last few weeks, averaging 5,300 tests a day the last week of May and 6,400 the first week of June.
Todd Richardson, the state’s Medicaid director, said on Tuesday that community testing events over the last two weeks in 11 counties resulted in 11,000 people screened with only 107 positive for the virus.
“The overall cases were lower than we expected in many instances,” he said, noting that the state is also conducting random testing at certain state facilities, such as veterans homes and prisons.
As Missouri prepares to further reopen, other states around the country are seeing infections spike.
COVID-19 cases are on the rise in 21 states, according to data compiled by The New York Times. This is partially explained by expanded testing, but public health experts warn the increases are also due to the relaxing of state-required social distancing.
A month into its reopening, Florida this week reported more positive cases than any seven-day period. this year. Texas has seen COVID-related hospitalizations jump to the highest levels since the pandemic emerged.
Parson’s previous order, which he said was up to local officials to enforce as they saw fit, lifted a ban on large gatherings and allowed most businesses to reopen as long as they adhered to certain guidelines, such as maintaining six feet of space between individuals.
Capacity limits were put in place to help ensure social distancing, although those guidelines did not apply to people in jobs that require closer contact, such as those in barber and cosmetology shops, hair salons and tattoo parlors.
Restaurants were allowed to resume dine-in service as long as tables and seating are spaced according to social distance requirements.
In Kansas City, restrictions on businesses were relaxed last month by Mayor Quinton Lucas. Businesses were allowed to serve up to 50 percent of their normal capacities and limits on the size of outdoor gatherings were lifted.
In doing so, however, Lucas stressed social distancing would still be required — and the city would boost enforcement of the rules to ensure they were being followed.
