Head of veterans commission resigns after COVID-19 report

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP)

The chairman of the Missouri Veterans Commission has resigned after releasing an investigative report that criticized the commission for not reacting more quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 140 COVID-19 deaths have been reported at the state's seven veteran nursing homes. The head of the commission, Tim Noonan, told The St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Thursday he was resigning because of comments from Gov. Mike Parson this week.

A summary of the report on veterans' deaths was released in December, but Noonan had resisted releasing the entire report until Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt directed him to do so.

The report looked at how each of the homes handled the coronavirus outbreak, including homes in Mexico and St. James. Two residents died at the Mexico home and 37 cases were diagnosed among residents and staff. Nine died at the St. James nursing home.

The report says the St. James home was not following social distancing consistently as well as not cleaning and disinfection times not followed.