COVID-19 has been devastating to our community. More than 2,000 St. Louisans have died, over 100,000 infected, unemployment has reached 11.3%, and across-the-board, the Black community has been disproportionately affected.
We are still struggling to provide equitable care and adequate resources to St. Louisans 11 months into this pandemic. Yet the Missouri legislature is attempting to limit our local health departments in implementing evidence-based guidelines that make sense for us.
Dangerous bills in Jefferson City would severely restrict local leaders from enacting ordinances that have prevented the spread of COVID-19, coordinated hospital resources, and saved lives.
We shouldn’t hinder public health officials who work tirelessly to protect our communities. Instead, we should recognize how important our public health advocacy is in fighting for all St. Louisans.  We need experts to lead, not Missouri politicians who have minimal public health experience and who don’t come from St. Louis.
Samantha Lund
St. Louis
