Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, will allow the state’s public health emergency order over the Wuhan coronavirus to expire. Parson made the announcement on Thursday.
The state’s emergency order was first declared on March 13, 2020, when COVID-19 emerged in the state. The order was extended five times, the most recent in August 2021. Parson said on Thursday that the order, which ended Dec. 31, would not be extended a sixth time.
In a statement, Parson said that the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine and other measures have equipped the state to fight and prevent the virus, no longer needing a state of emergency.
“Thanks to the effectiveness of the vaccine, widespread efforts to mitigate the virus, and our committed health care professionals, past needs to continue the state of emergency are no longer present,” Parson said in a statement. “Over the last 22 months, we have coordinated with local, state, and private partners to mitigate COVID-19 and work towards returning to normalcy. We all now know how to best fight and prevent serious illness from this virus. The state stands ready to provide assistance and response, but there is no longer a need for a state of emergency.”
According to a press release from Parson’s office, the final extension of the state of emergency order was targeted for health care needs this year.
“Currently, only three of Missouri’s border states and 20 other states in the nation have state of emergencies related to COVID-19 in place,” the press release said. The Missouri National Guard will no longer be activated for COVID-19 related missions, it added.
"In Missouri, we never had mandates or forced lockdowns," Governor Parson said in the statement. "The main focus of our state of emergency was to provide regulatory flexibility to support and assist Missourians, health care facilities, and businesses and coordinate a COVID-19 response that saved lives and livelihoods. We encourage all Missourians to consider COVID-19 vaccination and to stay diligent, but we can work together to fight COVID-19 while living our normal lives. It is time to take this final step and move forward as a state."
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The press release noted that in December alone, more than 565,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the state. Forty-two percent were part of the “primary” vaccine series. In the state, nearly 94 percent of residents ages 65 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 73 percent of residents 18 and older and 62 percent overall have chosen to get the vaccine.
This week, local outlet Fox 2 Now reported that the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services will ship at-home COVID-19 testing kits to homes at no cost. This came after residents ran into issues obtaining a COVID-19 test. Once an individual takes their at-home test, it must be returned to a collection site within 24 hours to be shipped overnight to a lab for processing. The testing agency, Fulgent Genetics, can test for the highly-contagious Omicron variant.
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