Parson extends Missouri stay-at-home order
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Gov. Mike Parson said Thursday that he will extend a stay-at-home order to May 3 and that the state will use a "data-driven approach" to reopen the Missouri economy.
Parson made the announcement during his daily COVID-19 briefing after previewing his decision on Wednesday. The order is currently set to expire April 24.
The governor is usually flanked by top state officials, but appeared Thursday alone.
You can watch a replay of the daily news conference in the media player below.
Parson said Missouri has seen progress in new cases and deaths since the statewide order went into effect April 6.
"While we never want to see these numbers rise, the numbers were projected to be much worse in Missouri had we not taken fast and decisive action to implement social distancing," Parson said.
The plan will work on a two-phase approach, Parson said. The first phase will involve protecting first responders, health care workers and direct care workers. The second phase involves reopening businesses safely based on testing data and insights from employers and employees.
Leaders in Kansas City on Thursday extended their local stay-at-home order indefinitely. St. Louis County extended its order through May 15 and St. Louis will extend its order Thursday as well.
Boone County's order expires April 24, but leaders have said it could be extended.
Parson said Missouri-specific data will inform how state officials work through the process of lifting the order. The lifting of the order will come with expanded testing capacity, expanded reserves of personal protective equipment for health care workers and first responders and continued monitoring of areas to see if expanded health care capacity is needed, including field hospitals.
Parson said the reopening is possible because Missourians have adhered to the stay-at-home order.
"Because of your diligent efforts and sacrifices, we are able to put Missourians back to work," Parson said.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Wednesday that she was extending her state's order through May 3 and had been in discussion with Parson. Parson confirmed those discussions at his daily briefing.
Governors from several Midwest states including Illinois and Kentucky said Thursday they are working together to determine a reopening plan. Parson said Thursday he was not aware of the group.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said Thursday that 5,111 people across the state have tested positive for COVID-19. More than 200 new cases of novel coronavirus have been reported since Wednesday.
The health department said 152 have died from novel coronavirus. It's an increase of at least five since Wednesday.
President Donald Trump spoke with state leaders on Thursday and went over plans to on how to re-open the country amid COVID-19 pandemic. The White House's guidelines, called "Opening Up America Again," lay out what states should see in regards to the virus' spread before opening up businesses. One of the caveats is for a "downward trajectory of documented cases within a 14-day period."
Missouri data shows that Missouri's new daily case growth is sporadic. April 6 marked the highest single daily gain in COVID-19 cases with 355. The state has only broken 300 cases once since then, and has averaged 235 new cases per day since April 2.
