Missouri Gov. Mike Parson says wear a mask or social distance. Too bad he doesn’t bother
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson continues to send dangerous mixed signals about the use of masks and social distancing to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
In a tweet Friday afternoon, the Republican governor urged residents to take precautions against the virus. “Please continue to be safe, smart, and responsible over the weekend,” he wrote. “Social distance. If you can’t social distance, wear a mask. Wash your hands.”
Parson has shown he’s capable of following that critical advice. On that Friday, Parson wore a mask (with “Chiefs” printed on it) at a ceremonial bill signing at Union Station.
Others in the small audience were appropriately masked and properly distanced from one another.
So how to explain the governor’s decision just a few hours later? He appeared inside a police station in Springfield and held another bill-signing photo op and a meet-and-greet with officers and other local officials.
Pictures published in the Springfield newspaper show no one wearing a mask or standing at a safe distance. Photos on Twitter show the same thing. There were roughly 50 people in the room.
Later that evening, Parson posed for a picture with new police department recruits. Again, no masks. Astonishingly, the recruiting class was sworn in privately “due to COVID-19 restrictions,” according to a department release.
Perhaps you think such recklessness is justified because Springfield has dodged COVID-19. Wrong. On Monday, the Springfield City Council approved mandatory masks “after a record-setting week for new coronavirus cases in Greene County,” according to the Springfield News-Leader.
Parson’s weekend didn’t end in Springfield. On Saturday, he dropped in on the 17th annual Missouri Cattle Association steak fry at the state fairgrounds in Sedalia.
A video of the event that was posted online shows the crowd — hundreds of people — standing shoulder-to-shoulder, applauding. No one is wearing a mask. Pictures show the governor maskless as well.
“Governor Parson always makes a conscious effort to social distance and where distance is not possible he chooses to wear a mask, and he recommends all Missourians to do the same,” his office said in an email.
Numerous photos confirm that’s simply not true.
Incredibly, Parson managed to add to the confusion about his mask philosophy on Tuesday. He said he tries to socially distance himself, but it isn’t always possible. That’s just wrong. He’s the governor. He could stand 100 yards away if he wanted to.
Parson says he keeps his hands clean and turns away from face-to-face conversations. Those strategies aren’t acceptable alternatives to masks, for the governor or anyone.
“Am I going to be perfect about it? No,” Parson said Tuesday. Wow.
The governor may believe he is free to risk his own health and safety by not wearing a mask in some public appearances. But failing to wear a mask threatens others. If Parson picks up the coronavirus in a rural area, he can easily transmit it in St. Louis or Kansas City or any other place where he appears publicly.
Different cities and counties are pursuing different mask regulations. Surely, though, the governor doesn’t need to be under a government order to do the right thing.
“Masks are not a political statement,” Pettis County Health Administrator JoAnn Martin said recently. “They are a public health strategy to reduce the spread of disease.”
Sedalia is the county seat of Pettis County.
Almost five months after Missouri and the rest of the country were rocked by the novel coronavirus, Gov. Mike Parson seems unable to understand the seriousness of the threat. He could set an example for his state by simply wearing a mask. He will not.
He should. As of Wednesday, 1,103 Missourians had died of COVID-19.
This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 5:00 AM.