Nicole Galloway, the Democratic nominee for Missouri governor, released her “Rebuild and Recover” action plan that outlines what she would do as governor to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and to rebuild Missouri.
She said she would act with a sense of urgency, because in Missouri, positive COVID-19 cases are significantly higher than they were in the spring and many schools are not able to reopen for full in-person learning or are delaying reopening. Galloway said Missouri needs to reset its coronavirus strategy.
“Governor Parson’s strategy isn’t working,” Galloway said. “The lingering effects of the pandemic threaten to hobble a full economic recovery.”
She pointed to the August 18 visit with Gov. Mike Parson by Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, who said the virus continues to spread at alarming rates in urban, rural and suburban parts of Missouri. Springfield Mayor Ken McClure reportedly sent a letter to the governor calling for a statewide mask mandate to stop the coronavirus, which Parson is not in favor of implementing.
Parson has said, “You don’t need the government to tell you to wear a darn mask.”
Galloway’s plan, released August 24, would focus on three key areas: protecting public health, ensuring Missouri’s communities and local governments can recover, and rebuilding the state’s economy. Specifics include: implementing a statewide mask mandate; working with surrounding states on the purchase of rapid testing supplies and equipment; data-driven approaches to safely reopen schools; creating an Emergency Medical Task Force to brief the public daily on COVID-19 in Missouri, to recommend executive actions to the governor and serve as a hub for COVID-19 data; and ensure relief for workers who contract COVID-19.
Additionally, Galloway’s COVID-19 plan would reorganize the Department of Economic Development to include a department of Minority Business that will be charged with ensuring vulnerable small businesses in Black and Brown communities are able to withstand economic uncertainties; and create an Economic Relief Council composed of labor members, business leaders, and small business owners to advise the governor on economic stabilization in the short term and economic recovery in the long term.
The Galloway plan would also assign a state-level response team to help counties spend their CARES act money, with a focus on contact tracing and personal protective equipment; and provide support for community health centers.
“By focusing on protecting public health and economic recovery, my action plan is aimed at tackling COVID-19 in Missouri in order to prevent new restrictions and avoid shuttering new businesses.”
Read her complete pandemic action plan for Missouri at https://tinyurl.com/Galloway-COVID.