Missouri’s COVID-19 crisis ‘over,’ Gov. Parson declares after 2 years and 16,000 deaths
Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday declared the “COVID-19 crisis is over here in the state of Missouri” and announced the state will begin treating the virus as endemic.
Daily reporting of some pandemic data and contact tracing of cases will end. Missouri will move toward treating COVID-19 like other viruses.
The move comes as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have plummeted from record highs this winter. It also comes two years into the most deadly pandemic in a century, which has killed more than 16,000 Missouri residents.
Parson emphasized that the virus isn’t going away, but said residents had learned to “live with” COVID-19 and that the state is moving on.
“I think Missouri, as a whole, when you look back on the two years, we did the best we could do and I think we did it right compared to a lot of other states,” he said.
The transition reflects a broader national shift toward treating the virus as endemic, meaning that while it remains a constant presence it is not spreading out of control or placing serious pressure on the healthcare system. Paula Nickelson, acting director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said future waves are possible and that it may be necessary to ramp up the state’s response again.
Nickelson pointedly said the administration would not call for mask mandates if the virus surges again. Parson, a Republican, refused to issue statewide mask mandates throughout the pandemic.
Earlier on Wednesday, President Joe Biden urged Congress to approve billions in COVID-19 funding to ensure free vaccinations for Americans. Biden, who made his remarks while receiving his second booster shot, said the “consequences of inaction are severe.”
Biden also touted a new website, called covid.gov, that includes information on masks, testing, treatment and vaccines.
Missouri’s eventual transition to an endemic posture had been anticipated for months, especially as case counts have declined. The announcement is Parson’s most forceful attempt to date to move the state past the pandemic, a crisis that consumed much of the past two years of his governorship and led to some of the sharpest criticism he’s received since taking office in 2018.
Over the past two years, Parson tangled with Democrats, local officials and health leaders over masks, vaccine requirements, early vaccine distribution and even field hospitals. He has emphasized the enormous resources the state has devoted to its response even as critics say he should have done more, especially during the surges, to bring infections under control.
The switch to an endemic response will officially begin Friday. After that, DHSS will move to reporting many pandemic metrics on a weekly basis, rather than providing daily updates. Universal contact tracing and investigations of individual cases will end.
Nickelson acknowledged some may question whether Missouri is moving to an endemic phase prematurely, but said the change isn’t happening too quickly.
“Endemic does not mean the end of COVID. It simply means that COVID is now at a level of prevalence in our nation, our state to be considered a constant presence within our population,” Nickelson said.
“We completely expect in the pandemic phase to have periods of increased cases, perhaps increased hospitalizations.”
