Missouri Gov. Mike Parson ends isolation for COVID-19. Here’s what he’s doing next

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson will resume traveling the state on Tuesday, just under two weeks after testing positive for the coronavirus and going into isolation.

The Republican’s emergence from the governor’s mansion in Jefferson City comes as his race for election against Democrat Nicole Galloway, the state auditor, enters its final month. The two candidates are set to face off at a rescheduled debate on Friday.

Parson’s office on Sunday announced a series of public events this week, including in St. Joseph on Tuesday, saying he had completed his isolation period on Saturday in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The recommendations say individuals may generally leave isolation 10 days after the start of symptoms.

Parson, 65, posted a video thanking well-wishers on Twitter on Sunday. In the video, filmed outside amid loud wind, the governor says he and first lady Teresa Parson, who also tested positive, “are both doing fine.”

“Thanks everybody. Looking forward to being back to work. See you on the trail before long,” Parson says in the video while standing next to the first lady.

Parson’s positive COVID-19 test on Sept. 23 upended his campaign and forced the cancellation of in-person events. The first — and likely only — debate of the race was also postponed, but is now set for Friday in Columbia.

Parson’s first public event this week will come Tuesday, when he is scheduled to travel to St. Joseph for a ribbon cutting ceremony at Missouri Western State University. He will brief reporters on Wednesday at the Capitol and travel to St. Louis on Thursday for a ceremonial bill signing.

A spokeswoman for the governor didn’t answer a question about whether Parson had received a negative coronavirus test before leaving isolation. The governor’s office last week refused to say whether any members of the governor’s staff have tested positive.

According to the Missouri Office of Administration, 1,842 state employees have tested positive since the pandemic began. Of that number, 1,259 have recovered.

Cases have been recorded among workers in 16 different agencies, but some have been hit particularly hard. The Department of Corrections has reported 646 positive employees and the Department of Mental Health has reported 393.

In Missouri, 133,418 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 2,174 have died. More than 8,600 cases and 44 deaths have been reported in the past week.

This story was originally published October 5, 2020 at 9:15 AM.