Missouri Governor updates COVID-19 recovery; no update on special session

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson gave an update on the state's recovery from COVID-19 during a Thursday afternoon briefing.

The governor did not have any new information for a special session expected to start next month.

You can watch the briefing in the media player below.

Parson said Missouri is sixth in the US for unemployment with the rate at 4.9%. He included job recovery since the pandemic started was at 63% and that Missouri ranked eighth in the nation.

Statewide consumer spending is back to levels before the coronavirus pandemic started, Parson said.

Last week, Parson announced a special session to approve a supplemental budget bill. If approved, it would allow the state to purchase resources related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Missouri coronavirus hospitalizations

The governor said the state is looking at new tools to help hospitals deal with COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Large hospitals around the state, like Cox Health in Springfield, have seen patients brought in from smaller hospitals, Parson said.

"We have talked about empowering smaller hospitals to care for more patients," Parson said.

The governor included the state is looking at a University of Missouri program called echo to help out.

Missouri's seven-day hospitalization rate was 1,400 on Thursday. Parson said nearly half of statewide hospital beds and ventilators are still available.