By Tracy Brookshier, PIO/Marketing Coordinator
March 23, 2020, 1:00 p.m.
A message from Diane, L. Weber, RN, Executive Director, MO Association of Local Public Health Agencies
Today at 3 p.m., Governor Parson will be giving his daily media briefing and will open his remarks by discussing an order from Dr. Randall Williams, director of DHSS, that will go in effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, March 23.
Local public health authorities are being directed to carry out and enforce the provisions of this Order by means of civil proceedings. Provisions of this order are outlined below.
1. In accordance with the guidelines from the President and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, every person in the State of Missouri shall avoid social gatherings of more than ten (10) people. For purposes of this Order, “social gatherings” shall mean any planned or spontaneous event or convening that would bring together more than ten (10) people in a single space at the same time.
2. In accordance with the guidelines from the President and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, every person in the State of Missouri shall avoid eating or drinking at restaurants, bars, or food courts; provided, however, that the use of drive-thru, pickup, or delivery options is allowed throughout the duration of this Order.
* See more on this below
3. In accordance with the guidelines from the President and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, people shall not visit nursing homes, long-term care facilities, retirement homes, or assisted living homes unless to provide critical assistance.
4. In accordance with the guidelines from the President and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, schools shall remain closed.
This Order does not prohibit people from visiting a variety of places, including grocery stores, gas stations, parks, and banks, so long as necessary precautions are taken and maintained to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, including maintaining at least six feet (6’) of distance between all individuals that are not family members. For offices and workplaces that remain open, individuals shall practice good hygiene and, where feasible, work from home in order to achieve optimum isolation from COVID-19. The more that people reduce their public contact, the sooner COVID-19 will be contained and the sooner this Order will expire.
This Order shall be in effect beginning 12:01 A.M. Monday, March 23, 2020, and shall remain in effect until 12:01 A.M. Monday, April 6, 2020, unless extended by further order of the Director of the Department of Health and Senior Services with said extensions not to exceed the duration of the effective period of Executive Order 20-02 (May 15, 2020).
Please be sure you are communicating this information with your board members, staff and local officials. We would rather over-communicate than under-communicate on this process and keep all parties informed.
All of Governor Parson’s media briefings can be viewed live here: https://www.facebook.com/GovMikeParson/. They are being held daily Monday-Saturday, typically at 3 p.m.
Thank you for all you are doing to protect public health and prevent the further spread of COVID-19.
It is my understanding about the Covid 19 virus that when rapid antigen and antibody testing is available, these tests will allow the medical authorities to isolate individuals that bring greater danger to our people.
What is the status of this technology and what kind of timeline are we facing in Missouri?
The status of this technology for Missouri is unknown at this time.