masks Archives - Missourinet

Remote testimony will likely be up to discretion of Missouri House committee chairs this session

January 12, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

A Missouri House committee decided Friday that remote testimony via zoom will be up to individual committee chairmen and chairwomen this session.

State Rep. Sara Walsh, R-Ashland, who chairs the Missouri House Consent and House Procedures Committee, hands the gavel over to new House Speaker Rob Vescovo on January 6, 2021 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of Ben Peters at House Communications)

The Missouri House Consent and House Procedures Committee held about a 90-minute hearing on Friday in Jefferson City, discussing zoom testimony and numerous other rules issues.

Committee members in both parties agree that COVID continues to be a concern, but the GOP-led committee is giving discretion to Missouri House committee chairs. State Rep. Sara Walsh, R-Ashland, chairs the committee.

Remote testimony happened in mid-December, when former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani testified via zoom before the Missouri House Special Committee on Government Oversight. There were some technical issues with Giuliani’s computer that night, and at one point, he was upside down in the screen that Missouri lawmakers were facing.

As for the Consent and House Procedures Committee, they also voted down a proposed amendment Friday from ranking Democratic State Rep. Tracy McCreery, D-Olivette. She says House committees should not hold a hearing on bills and vote the same day, saying lawmakers need more time to study any bill.

McCreery also wants to see masks required in the Missouri House, particularly during committee hearings.

House Majority Floor Leader Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, testified before the committee on Friday. The committee approved one of his proposals, which would allow Missouri House committees to meet without a quorum. That can be an issue when there is snow and/or ice in Jefferson City.

The committee also discussed the importance of subpoena enforcement for Missouri House committees.

Missouri is averaging 3,908 new COVID cases per day; public health warning issued

November 20, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The Parson administration has issued a statewide public health warning, due to the continued increase in new COVID cases statewide.

The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) says there are currently 2,588 COVID patients in Missouri hospitals, an increase of 135 in the past 24 hours. 608 of those patients are in the ICU and 310 are on ventilators.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson (right) visits a COVID-19 testing site in mid-Missouri’s Fulton on November 17, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

DHSS says there have been 27,358 new COVID cases in Missouri in the past week, an average of 3,908 new cases per day.

The department has also issued a holiday travel advisory, urging you to minimize travel outside of Missouri and to wear a mask.

President Choi: the mask,distancing rules are working at Mizzou; egregious violations result in expulsion

September 16, 2020 By Ashley Byrd

The University of Missouri has expelled two students and suspended three for violating COVID-19 safety policies. In a press statement, the actions were described as “flagrant…willful and knowing actions that threatened the safety of the campus and the broader Columbia community” including requirements that COVID-positive individuals isolate and comply with social distancing requirements.

Choi answers questions from Sikeston Republican Holly Rehder during Tuesday’s hearing.

Mun Choi, UM System president and MU chancellor, described this and the system’s COVID-19 policies in his testimony before the Missouri House Special Committee on Disease Control and Prevention.

Eleven student organizations are currently under investigation for violations of the university’s coronavirus related policies. The school reports that as of Sept. 11, approximately 470 student violation cases have been referred to the university’s Office of Student Conduct and Accountability.

Choi reported that since enacting stricter mask and social distancing rules, the Columbia campus has had a decrease in its active caseload, with a 51 percent drop from 683 cases between Sept. 5 to Sept. 14.

“We like that trend,” Choi told the panel.

This semester, he said, no Mizzou students have been hospitalized with the coronavirus. If a residence hall student contracts COVID-19, they can isolate at one of the 300 hotel rooms paid for by the university, with free meals delivered or meals reimbursed.

‘Many of our students choose to isolate on campus,” he said, “This is one of the best places for students to be because we have the necessary hospital capacity to take care of students and our community.”

Choi said that for now, the choice for in-person classes, with strict guidelines, keeps the school and staff financially safe.
He mentioned the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, which has gone to distance learning and faces $169 million in lost revenues and furloughs of 850 staffers.

“As the leader of this campus at Columbia and president of four universities, I just can’t imagine — and I find it heartbreaking to be able to say– to staff members that this is a time for layoffs and that health insurance will not be provided and to say that during a pandemic,” Choi said.

Choi told lawmakers that many students who have contracted COVID-19 have chosen to isolate in Columbia.

“But I want to make this very clear, if at any time during our 7:30 (a.m.) daily meetings with the medical experts and the public health experts we find that the pandemic is turning for the worse, or the experts tell me that it is time to pivot– we will pivot to remote learning immediately,” Choi insisted. “Our decisions are not made based on finance, but the best medical and public health input.”

Dr. Williams urges younger Missourians to wear masks and to maintain social distancing

August 19, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s health director says it’s important to target younger residents with a specific message of the importance of wearing a mask and social distancing.

White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx speaks to Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams at the Governor’s Mansion in Jefferson City on August 18, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

State Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams told Capitol reporters on Tuesday that he had a discussion with White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx, about the issue. They also discussed the importance of testing, on Tuesday.

“We talked about the fact that last week, 45 percent of our cases in Missouri were in three counties: St. Louis, Jackson and St. Charles. So for the whole state of 6.1 million, 45 percent were in three counties,” Williams says.

Dr. Williams says it’s crucial for 20 to 30 year-olds to wear a mask and to practice social distancing. He also says staff from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have been in St. Louis and Kansas City, helping to battle the pandemic.

DHSS says Missouri has now had 70,675 confirmed COVID cases, up from about 68,000 earlier this week.

The state health director says Missouri ranks 16th in the nation for COVID-19 cases, per 100,000 people. Director Williams says Missouri ranked 14th last week.

“We are 14th in the United States for new cases per 100,000. That’s 14th out of 50 states. And we are 18th for our positivity rate over the last seven days,” says Williams.

Dr. Williams says Missouri’s COVID cases are increasing by about 1,100 per day, lower than the national average of 1,600 per day.

He continues to emphasize the importance of the “box-in” strategy for the state’s long-term care facilities. Dr. Williams says 115,000 tests have been conducted in Missouri long-term care facilities, using that strategy.

The “box-in” testing strategy involves testing, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine.

Missouri is one of the 20 states that Dr. Birx has visited in the past six weeks, to provide guidance on COVID-19. She participated in a roundtable discussion with Governor Mike Parson and Cabinet members in Jefferson City on Tuesday. They were joined by health, school and community leaders.

During a press conference in Jefferson City after Tuesday’s roundtable, Dr. Birx emphasized the importance of wearing a mask and social distancing. She is also suggesting that Missouri follow Texas’ model, which requires masks in counties with more than 20 cases.

Missouri House committee to hear Tuesday testimony from Vandeven and Williams about COVID-19

August 7, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s health director and the education commissioner will both testify Tuesday in Jefferson City before a bipartisan Missouri House Committee that’s related to the coronavirus.

Missouri Commissioner of Education Dr. Margie Vandeven briefs Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on July 6, 2020 (file photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

The Missouri House Special Committee on Disease Control and Prevention will meet Tuesday morning at 10:30 at the Statehouse in Jefferson City. The committee is chaired by State Rep. Jonathan Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, a private practice general surgeon. The committee’s ranking Democrat is State Rep. Kip Kendrick, D-Columbia. Kendrick is the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee.

The committee will be examining the decision by school districts in reopening buildings to students, and will get an update on Missouri’s use of federal CARES Act funding.

The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) says Missouri now has 57,379 confirmed cases, up from 55,321 on Wednesday.

Chairman Patterson tells Missourinet that DHSS Director Dr. Randall Williams will testify on Tuesday morning, about the trajectory Missouri is on. Dr. Patterson is also interested what will happen if/when a COVID-19 vaccine is developed. Patterson wants to know if DHSS has a plan in place.

Another key part of Tuesday’s hearing will involve Missouri Commissioner of Education Dr. Margie Vandeven, who will testify about schools.

Chairman Patterson notes that he has a nine-year-old and a six-year-old in public school. He says the number one issue he’s hearing about from constituents is about school plans.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson says his office has worked closely with the State Departments of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and DHSS to address questions about reopening.

Earlier this week, DESE and DHSS released updated schoool reopening guidance, which addresses frequently asked questions. DESE and DHSS recommend that local school leaders require school staff members to wear face coverings, “as the data indicates COVID-19 transmission is more likely from adult to student, than from student to adult.”

Contact tracing is also addressed in the report from DESE and DHSS.

Governor Parson says the state is working to help school districts with personal protective equipment (PPE), noting that 1.8 million cloth masks have been made available through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

The governor says DESE and SEMA are currently working to develop a plan to distribute the masks to Missouri school districts.

Missouri House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, announced the committee’s creation earlier this year. Chairman Patterson notes this will be the committee’s second hearing: they met on March 2 and heard testimony from Dr. Williams.

At that time, Dr. Williams testified there had been no confirmed cases in Missouri. About 100 people had been self-monitoring, according to testimony.

Governor Parson says Missouri is one of the states the White House is concerned about, with increasing COVID-19 cases. The governor told Capitol reporters this week that Vice President Mike Pence called him on Sunday, to offer additional assistance and resources to battle the pandemic.

DHSS: Missouri’s coronavirus cases increase 1,138 from Monday’s total

July 21, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s coronavirus cases have increased by more than 1,000 in the past 24 hours.

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams briefs Capitol reporters on July 14, 2020 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) says Missouri now has 34,762 confirmed coronavirus cases, an increase of 1,138 from Monday’s number of 33,624.

Missouri had 22,830 cases, as of July 3.

DHSS Director Dr. Randall Williams will brief Capitol reporters Wednesday afternoon at the Statehouse in Jefferson City, along with Governor Mike Parson. The governor told reporters last week that 60 percent of the new cases have been in three main regions: the St. Louis area, Kansas City area and southwest Missouri

Governor Parson has also noted that more younger people are testing positive in Missouri, adding that the average diagnosed patient’s age continues to drop.

Dr. Williams has been urging Missourians to wear a mask, to practice social distancing and to wash their hands frequently.

DHSS says there have been 1,143 COVID deaths in Missouri.

Missouri health officials working through backlog of COVID-19 tests

July 17, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s health director says there is a four-day backlog of about 7,000 COVID-19 tests waiting to be entered into the reporting system.

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams briefs Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on July 14, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

During a Thursday media briefing in Jefferson City, State Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams told Capitol reporters that they’re working as quickly as possible.

“We’ve been using the (Missouri) National Guard, we’ve been using other people, but we are ramping up other people in DHSS to become contact tracers and to do the filing of that information,” Dr. Williams says.

He says that DHSS is training others to do that job. He also emphasizes that the department’s rule is to report positives within an hour. Dr. Williams says he’s insisted on that.

Missouri now has 31,290 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to DHSS. That’s an increase of about 800 from Thursday. It’s also an increase of 3,847 from Monday’s number of 27,443.

DHSS says there have been 1,121 coronavirus deaths in Missouri.

Dr. Williams continues to urge Missourians to practice social distancing and to wear a mask, saying it’s the key to preventing the spread of COVID-19.

He urges people to be creative, and he put on a Mizzou mask while he was speaking to Capitol reporters on Thursday.

St. Louis metro areas join Kansas City in requiring masks, state health director advises mask-wearing

July 1, 2020 By Ashley Byrd

St. Louis City and St. Louis County have joined the state’s other major metro, Kansas City, in requiring masks in public to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Other cities are considering a similar rule as they watch virus cases increase in their areas.

“It’s a level of precaution that the scientists and the doctors really believe will help to continue to protect us, St, Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said in a press briefing Wednesday.

Mayor Lucas before taking the podium at a press conference

“We don’t want happening here what’s happening in other parts of our country where they have to pull back on their reopening,” Krewson said.

Governors in Texas, Florida and Arizona and others have had to pause reopening plans because of a surge in cases.

Gov. Mike Parson says he will not mandate face covering but will wear one on official visits when asked.

“Whether you wear a mask has nothing to do with whether you are Republican or Democrat, whether it’s he-man or not, all that spin that everybody wants to put on it,” Parson said at his Tuesday briefing. “You have to make a decision as individuals. You know the facts.”

The facts are that within six feet or in close quarters indoors, spittle and breath spread the virus.

That is why State DHSS Director Randall Williams is one of the doctors urging the wearing of facemasks.

“The more we learn, the more important we realize that (masks-wearing) is,” he told reporters at the Capitol. “If I’m around somebody and I’m within six feet, I put on a facemask.”

Many legislators wore masks during the remaining few days of the session this spring.

Williams warns that social distancing is just as important, and it’s not happening. He says a new CDC study released Tuesday shows that 50 percent of infected people do not know who gave it to them, especially because so many people do not show symptoms at first.

In Kansas City, Mayor Quinton Lucas says his order was not politically-driven, but it brought an unexpected personal repercussion, he says. Racist messages and threats directed at him have increased.

“We are talking about masks because we want to protect people. It has nothing to do with race, frankly, it has nothing to do with needing to be divisive or political. It’s really everything to do with let’s have a city that functions, a city that’s trying to keep people safe,” Lucas said.

Missouri House to tackle state budget on Monday; they’re being encouraged to wear masks

April 26, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The 163-member Missouri House and its staff members will be encouraged to wear masks when they return to the Statehouse in Jefferson City on Monday.

Missouri House Majority Floor Leader Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, (left) discusses the $6.2 billion supplemental budget with House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, on April 8, 2020 in Jefferson City (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The House will gavel-in Monday at noon, and will be debating the budget.

“We have supplied all members and staff with cloth masks. They are cotton and washable,” Missouri House Chief Clerk Dana Rademan Miller tells Missourinet. “All are encouraged, but not required, to wear them and to continue to practice social/physical distancing protocols when we return for session on Monday.”

The House hasn’t met since April 8, when they approved a historic $6.2 billion supplemental budget to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The April 8 debate with unlike anything that’s ever happened in the chamber, with House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, wearing a mask and the chamber limited to ten people at one time. There were no visitors that day in the upper galleries, which are normally full of lobbyists, schoolchildren and the general public.

House Majority Floor Leader Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, tells Missourinet the House has scheduled six hours of budget debate on Monday.

House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, tells Missourinet he expects the House to perfect the budget on Monday, and give it final approval on Wednesday.

Speaker Haahr and Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, have said the decision to have lawmakers return on April 27 was not an easy one, but that “it’s absolutely critical for the people of Missouri that we keep the state government funded and services operating without interruption.”

Under the state Constitution, Missouri lawmakers are required to approve a balanced state operating budget by May 8.

Haahr and Schatz note committee hearings and legislative proceedings will remain open to the public. They are urging you to follow social distancing guidelines and to participate in the legislative process electronically, when possible.

Schatz says people entering the Missouri Capitol will go through a health screening process, like we saw earlier this month during the supplemental budget debate.

The last day of the 2020 legislative session is Friday, May 15.