NEWS School Closings and 50-Person Cap on Events Written by
DOYLE MURPHY
W
ithin an hour on Sunday, people in Missouri and Illinois learned of new life-changing rules as the Metro region tries to blunt the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. First, the elected leaders of five bi-state counties announced a ban on events larger than 50 people. The city of St. Louis had previously capped events at 1,000 people, and St. Louis
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Louis city and county reported that they would be shutting down by Wednesday. The closures included private Catholic and charter schools and will last through at least April 3. “The decision to close our school districts was extremely difficult, made in consultation with all area superintendents and out of an abundance of caution for our families,” the statement from the districts said. “We know that closing our schools will have a significant impact on our families, but we also believe that strong, urgent action must be taken to prevent the spread of this disease and to protect lives.” Individual school districts in St. Charles and Jefferson counties have also been announcing closures, and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker last week ordered all public and private schools in the state to close until at least March 30.
Gov. Mike Parson announces a state of emergency on March 13. | COURTESY GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
Parson Declares State of Emergency Written by
DOYLE MURPHY
G
overnor Mike Parson declared a state of emergency as the number of cases of coronavirus increased in Missouri. At a news conference on Friday, the governor said the state was working with the University of Missouri and Washington University to ramp up their ability to test for COVID-19, and they’re taking other precautions, such as restricting visits to state prisons for 30 days.
“We knew this was coming, and we are taking every precaution we can,” Parson said. As of Tuesday morning, Missouri had tested 215 people, eight of whom tested positive. The first positive test was in St. Louis County and a second was in Greene County in southwest Missouri. Since then, two more cases each in Greene County and St. Louis County and a the firstcase in the city of St. Louis have been announced. As of Friday, Missouri could run 68 tests per day, but it could increase capacity to a couple of hundred without much trouble, according to state officials. Parson says the emergency declaration is a preventive measure that should free up about $7 million to help the state’s efforts to slow the spread of the virus. He stressed that the state’s health care system was not over run, but he hoped taking steps at the beginning of the spread would help mitigate the worst problems. “I think we have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” Parson said. n
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson and other elected officials in the Bi-State announced new restrictions. | DOYLE MURPHY County had set the maximum at 250, but the Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued new recommendations for the far lower ban, prompting the officials to adjust restrictions. The change effectively wipes out all but the smallest events, and the organizers of many of those have voluntarily canceled or postponed as health experts urge everyone who can stay in their homes to do so. The new restriction affects the city of St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County in Missouri and St. Clair and Madison counties in Illinois, according to a joint news release. Shortly after that announcement, twenty six school districts through St.
riverfronttimes.com
It had been a week of major changes as local governments announced new confirmed cases and increasingly aggressive actions in hopes of keeping people away from one another. Courts in the city and county of St. Louis announced a halt to jury trials. Missouri Governor Mike Parson declared a state of emergency and promised an increase in testing for the virus through partnerships with universities. As of press time, there had been eight confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Missouri, including three in St. Louis County. There were two new cases announced on March 14 in St. Clair County — two women who health officials believe contracted the virus while traveling. n
MARCH 18-24, 2020
RIVERFRONT TIMES
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