As the omicron variant takes hold of the St. Louis region, Rep. Cori Bush is asking the governor to formally request federal assistance.
In a letter sent Wednesday, the democratic representative asked Gov. Mike Parson to request a federal COVID-19 testing site for St. Louis as well as federal medical personnel to assist the area’s overburdened hospital systems.
Bush acknowledged the Republican governor will likely not request aid, given his decisions throughout the pandemic. Decisions such asending the state’s participation in all federal pandemic-related unemployment programs, arguing that by doing so it would alleviate workforce shortages by creating a need for people to get back to work.
“This is something that would benefit every single person in this state and it’s available right now.”
‑Rep. Cori Bush
Medical professionals have told Bush and her Congressional colleagues this surge is expected to last a few weeks, the Missouri representative believes it’s crucial to request the aid now like many other states already have.
“We’ve seen [Parson], from my standpoint, slow to act, especially in certain communities like mine, early on in the pandemic,” Bush told The St. Louis American.
Not the only one who has reached out to the governor with a call to request federal pandemic aid, Bush said accepting this aid will save lives and improve the quality of life for everyone in the region without costing the state any money of its own.
The letter was sent a day before St. Louis-area hospitals set a record for the fourth day in a row when they reported 1,158 patients with confirmed COVID-19. That number surpasses last winter’s peak of 962 hospitalizations.
“This is something that would benefit every single person in this state and it’s available right now,” Bush said. “We’ve seen over the last two weeks other states have asked for this help, other states have reached out asking for the deployment of this type of support.”
She noted the Black community is, once again, hardest hit by COVID-19. Not only has the surge meant a rise in infections without proper testing and treatment facilities, but Bush also said unemployment rates are creeping back up in these communities.
In fact, the latest unemployment numbers released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday indicated while the unemployment rate declined to 3.9%, the Black unemployment rate in December jumped to more than twice that of white people.
“This letter, this was us spelling out very clearly what we need to see, and I do expect there to be some type of response, even if it doesn’t come directly to our office,” Bush said.” … Our hospitals, our communities need this. We won’t stop, this is the first ask, and we will do whatever we need to after that if we don’t get what we are asking for.”
Local leaders
Referring to St. Louis in particular as a COVID-19 hotspot right now, Bush also pointed to local leaders who are doing what they can to mitigate the spread and effects of this latest surge.
While the city’s mask order remains in effect, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones indicated earlier this week a lockdown on the city was not on the table yet.
The city opened two new COVID-19 sites Thursday at The Pageant and Kranzberg Theatre to help meet demand. Each has the capacity to conduct 500-1,000 tests a day through walk-up and scheduled appointments.
“Given the record numbers we are currently facing, it is imperative that we do all we can to #FlattenTheCurve,” the city’s health director, Dr. Matifadza Hlatshwayo Davis,wrote Thursday on Twitter. “We will also be sending guidance to businesses encouraging work from home wherever possible, plus best practices for masking and ventilation.”
Hlatshwayo Davis urged residents to get vaccinated and boosted, wear a mask indoors, stay six feet apart, wash hands often and avoid all social gatherings.
Falling in line with the city, St. Louis County councilors voted 4-3 Tuesday along party lines to enact a mask requirement that went into effect Wednesday morning. The order requires all people (vaccinated and unvaccinated) over the age of five to wear a mask while in public indoor spaces.
County Executive Sam Page announced Friday the Department of Public Health will begin offering testing Monday at the North County Recreation Complex, 2577 Redman Ave. The testing site will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“Testing is a crucial part of our COVID-19 strategy,”Page tweeted. “We urge anyone with symptoms as well as those who have been exposed to COVID to isolate immediately and get a test as soon as you can.”
