Top White House coronavirus expert says all Missourians should wear masks

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The White House official in charge of the country's coronavirus response said Tuesday that Missourians should wear masks and stop getting together if they want to stop the spread of COVID-19.

But she fell short of advocating a statewide mask mandate.

Dr. Deborah Birx, response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, met with Missouri officials Tuesday. She toured part of the state and met with Gov. Mike Parson and his advisers at the State Capitol.

Watch a replay of the news conference in the player below.

"We need every American and everybody in Missouri to be wearing a mask and do social distancing," Birx said during a news conference Tuesday morning.

Birx said Missourians also need to avoid large gatherings altogether, whether indoors or outdoors.

Missouri is among the states without a statewide mask order. Parson has endorsed using masks if the wearer feels comfortable wearing one but has appeared at events with no social distancing without a mask, including the Missouri State Fair last week.

Birx stopped short of saying Missouri should have a statewide mask mandates. Instead, Birx said she encouraged Missouri officials to look at the requirements in Texas, which only affect counties with more than 20 cases.

Statewide mandates are needed in states such as Alabama and Mississippi where, Birx said, 95 percent of counties have active spread of the virus. That number is less than 50 percent in Missouri, she said.

Another approach is to get all retailers in a given location to require masks, Birx said.

Birx also praised Missouri's "box in" strategy that seeks to contain outbreaks in regions and in places such as factories and nursing homes with large numbers of people in close spaces.

The state's use of data has helped make it successful, she said.

"They know where this virus is, they know where the virus isn’t, and they know what they’re doing to stop the virus,” Birx said of state leaders.

Parson said the areas of highest spread in Missouri have mask requirements in place and that he supports such local rules. In Mid-Missouri, Columbia and Pettis County have such rules in place.

A Jefferson City nursing home reported Monday that three residents have died there in a novel coronavirus outbreak that has infected more than half of the residents.

Birx pinned the blame for those cases and deaths on the community.

"Nursing homes do not spontaneously become COVID-19 infected. It comes in through staff or visistors, primarily staff," she said. What has happened at Jefferson City Manor is an example of why everyone should wear a mask, she said.

Also on Tuesday, the Cole County Health Department encouraged mask use in a news release.

"We are urging everyone to continue to take responsibility for their own health and to protect others," the department said in the statement that also pushed for social distancing.

Many local cases are from people not practicing social distancing and other precautions, the department said.

"Separate from the current outbreak at a long term care facility in Jefferson City, positive cases in the community have increased because of increased interaction and a lack of following issued guidance," the department said.

Birx said wearing masks and taking other precautions should not be a political issue.

"It does’t matter if you’re a Democrat or Republican, you need to wear a mask and socially distance, you need to not have parties in your backyard or in your living room," Birx said.

Dr. Randall Williams, the head of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said Missouri ranks 16th in fewest cases per 100,000 people and ranks 18th among states for rate of positive tests over the last week.

Check back for more on this developing story and watch ABC 17 News at 5 and 6.