Missouri will not have any statewide public health restrictions in effect Tuesday, but the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, and people should take it upon themselves to continue to taking precautions, Gov. Mike Parson said Thursday.
"We are fully confident that Missouri is prepared and ready to reopen, but we must remember that COVID-19 is not gone. Use common sense. Practice good hygiene. If you feel comfortable wearing a face covering, then wear a face covering. Be proactive and take precautions to protect yourself, your families and your neighbors, and above all, continue social distancing," Parson said.
Come Tuesday, the statewide public health order in effect through Monday will expire, and that will mean - at least in terms of orders from state government - there will be no more limitations upon the number of people that can be in retail establishments and no limits on dining-in at restaurants.
"At some point, government has to get out of the way and leave people to live their lives and regulate themselves. We are at that time in the state of Missouri," Parson said.
Local authorities, however, will continue to have the power to regulate business and activities in their jurisdictions, and national chains may also have policies that may remain uniform across multiple regions or states.
When it comes to nursing and veterans' homes, Parson said the Department of Health and Senior Services is working with the industry to issue guidance on safely reopening facilities to visitors "in a way that aligns with the situation in each community and individual facilities. We expect to publish these recommendations within the next few days."
For state workers, many will continue to work remotely. After Parson's announcement, the Office of Administration said: "As we transition to Phase 2 of the 'Show Me Recovery Plan,' state team members will continue to practice social distancing and work remotely if possible."
Parson said the Missouri State Fair will be held this year, in some fashion, though there may be fewer hours or activities.
He said decisions about large events such as sports and concerts will be up to consumers and the entities hosting events. "I think most of the large events - professional baseball, professional football, concerts - is going to be driven by the consumer. How many people are going to want to go there? I don't know. I don't know if 70,000 people want to get in a football stadium and sit side-by-side or whether they don't. My feeling is they won't. I think there will be some sort of adjustments to the seating, how to keep people spaced apart, but I think they already know that."
He said he's spoken with MLB, NFL, NHL, "most of the pro organizations," and the University of Missouri, and expects they will make decisions internally.
Competition - not among athletes, but states - is also something DHSS Director Dr. Randall Williams said Missouri is prepared for, when he was asked if the state is ready should there be infection spikes in other states that drive up demand for personal protective equipment and testing kits.
"We have worked really, really hard in Missouri to have our PPE ready to open back up. I don't think anybody in the United States would say that we have an infinite supply for September or October, and I think that's why the governor is so committed as we move through the summer to use Missouri businesses to get us to a stockpile that might deal, should we have any sort of resurgence," Williams said.
On the business front, the state is also continuing to monitor its economic recovery from the effects of the pandemic. There is now a data dashboard tracking that recovery available at showmestrong.mo.gov/dashboard/.
Department of Economic Development Director Rob Dixon said employers' health screenings and plans for outbreaks will continue to remain important, and he also encouraged businesses to develop plans for testing and contact tracing.
Dixon said there's a ways to go, but the economy is recovering.
Regardless of how much things begin to return to more of the way they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, some state measures to respond to the pandemic will remain in place once the statewide public health order expires.
Parson said Missouri's state of emergency will remain in effect through Dec. 30 this year - in order to be able to access federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funding - and an executive order that mobilizes the Missouri National Guard to aid in the state's response will also stay in effect through Dec. 30.
Three other executive orders will remain in place through Dec. 30:
The ability for the state to temporarily waive or suspend regulatory requirements to facilitate a better response to the pandemic
The ability for restaurants to sell unprepared food directly to the public
The ability for notary publics to offer remote services