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School Closings and 50-Person Cap on Events

Written by DOYLE MURPHY

Within 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 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

Governor 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 ocials 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. 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

Presiding Judge Rex Burlison suspended jury trials in St. Louis city. | DOYLE MURPHY

No Jury Duty in St. Louis Written by DOYLE MURPHY

Circuit courts in the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County are suspending jury trials in response to the coronavirus.

Judge Rex Burlison announced that the change to the 22nd Circuit, which is in the city, would extend until April 3. The decision also includes a temporary halt to walk-in weddings, held on Fridays, starting this week.

“The circuit’s intention is to make the courts available to the public during this health crisis but to reduce the public’s exposure as much as possible until we have further direction from public health authorities,” Burlison said in news release.

Anyone with a jury summons through April 3 shouldn’t report. They’ll be added back into the general jury pool.

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved rapidly, changing day to day, even hour to hour, as officials try to figure out what to do. Just a day before Burlison announced closures, he was as at a City Hall news conference where he said it would be “business as usual” in the 22nd Circuit Court, aside from a few extra steps to make sure any potential jurors with symptoms of COVID-19 would be sent home.

Shortly after he announced the change on Friday, the 21st Circuit Court, which covers the county, declared jury trials there would also be suspended, although only through March 27.

“ The circuit’s intention is to make the courts available to the public during this health crisis but to reduce the public’s exposure as much as possible.”

The Missouri Supreme Court followed up on Monday, suspending nearly all proceedings in all levels of Missouri courts, including municipal courts.

Suspending all but the most urgent matters among the circuit, associate circuit and municipal courts was one of the requests included in a letter to state and local government officials that was signed by sixteen organizations, including the ACLU, Arch City Defenders and Missouri Public Defender System.

The letter maps out a variety suggestions to fight the spread of COVID-19 among vulnerable populations, including people who are incarcerated, low-paid workers and people with disabilities.

The recommendations include providing places for people who are homeless to self-quarantine if necessary, releasing people who aren’t considered a danger but wait in jail because they can’t pay bail and holding off on arrests for misdemeanors and non-violent felonies. n