So, now Missouri Gov. Parson wants Washington’s help on coronavirus? Good — we need it

For what only seems like a geological age, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has been signaling that it should be left up to every man, woman and child in the state to defeat this coronavirus pandemic on his or her own little patch of prairie. Personal responsibility was the key, he said, and government couldn’t be the answer.

On Wednesday, with at least 356 cases in Missouri, and after eight deaths, he woke up to the reality that to mitigate the COVID-19 crisis, our state government is going to need far more help from Washington. He’s asked President Donald Trump to approve a major disaster declaration that would mean more federal assistance.

Now both Parson and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly should issue statewide stay-at-home orders, which elsewhere have made a real difference in reducing transmission of a virus that’s already killed thousands of people around the world.

At his regular afternoon briefing on Wednesday, Parson said he’s still not considering a shelter-in-place order.

If people will do what they’ve already been asked to do — stay home if they can and observe social distancing, “it will get us away from this virus.”

That’s more wishful thinking.

Asked whether he thought Trump is doing enough, Parson said yes, every official is “out there trying to do everything they possibly can,” and that this is not the time to criticize those in public life. “There will be plenty of time to second guess.”

No, time is short, which is the whole point.

Because of the ongoing lack of testing, weeks after the president and vice president promised that any American who needed a test would be able to get one, we still don’t even know how many cases we have.

Parson continues to focus more on the economic fallout, which will be terrible, rather than the human cost, which will be worse.

And the bitterest irony of all of the unnecessary health risks we’re taking in an effort to preserve the economy is that people are the most essential part of our economy, and we simply can’t afford to do anything less than everything we can to protect public health.

Asked about hospital bed capacity in Missouri, Parson said he wasn’t sure but that the state is working on it. That should be a top-of-mind matter, and it’s devastating that he didn’t have a better answer.

Parson finally acknowledged the enormity of this health crisis by seeking federal help Wednesday, but without additional actions, including some that are painful and require collective sacrifice, the number of coronavirus cases in the state will continue to multiply.

This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 5:06 PM.