Online is becoming a lifeline to the new normal, at least for the time being, for home, school, work and worship, due to rapidly changing responses to minimize potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new coronavirus and the disease it causes has prompted state of emergency declarations in the U.S. and many states, including Illinois and Missouri, and in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County.
Here are some of the declarations and some responses to it:
United States
National State of Emergency declared Friday, March 13. $50 billion in aid for states and municipalities to address coronavirus. Hospitals were asked to activate their emergency response plans. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a coronavirus relief package (H.R. 6201) Friday that offers paid leave and free COVID-19 testing. Donald Trump tweeted his support of the measure.
“Today, we will pass the Families First Coronavirus Response Act after reaching an agreement with the Administration,” Pelosi said in a tweet. “This legislation builds on the action that House Democrats took last week to put #FamiliesFirst with our strong, bipartisan $8.3 billion emergency funding package.”
Missouri
In the state of emergency declared Friday, March 13 by Gov. Mike Parson, also announced two new presumed positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the number up to four in Missouri. One is a domestic travel case – a St. Louis County patient between 50 and 60 years old. Parson’s declaration also provides $7 million in state funds.
“Governor Parson’s actions taken today support our public health preparations here in Missouri that we have been working on daily since January 27,” said Dr. Randall Williams, director of the Missouri Dept. of Health and Senior Services. “This gives us a different set of resources that we will use to further our response at both the state and local level.”
Additionally, the state is working to expand COVID-19 testing capabilities through the University of Missouri and Washington University laboratories. “The Missouri State Public Health Lab has shared a positive COVID-19 sample with Washington University, which will allow its lab to create a control and conduct testing in the near future. The state is currently in the process of doing the same with the University of Missouri.”
Illinois
Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered every school in the Illinois closed until March 30, affecting 2 million students. The March 13 decision is to slow the spread of COVID-19, now up to 46 with 14 new cases announced on Friday. Thursday, Pritzker ordered a ban on public gatherings over 1,000.
City of St. Louis
Mayor Lyda Krewson and a team of more than a dozen city leaders announced a State of Emergency on Thursday March 12. Banned are public events of 1,000 or larger (with the exception of schools and religious gatherings); delinquent water service will not be cut off in the City of St. Louis for 60 days. Jail visitations are being restricted to twice a week and outdoor soap and water handwashing stations are set up downtown. In her message to City employees, Krewson told reporters, “Anyone that does have to be voluntarily quarantined – in other words, they’ve been directed by their doctor or our health director to quarantine…and that could happen as a result of potential exposure and symptoms… if they’ve been directed the quarantine, the City will pay them for the days that they are quarantined without them having to use their sick time.”
Health director Dr. Fredrick Echols said more than 20 people are being monitored, but thus far, there are no positive cases in St. Louis.
St Louis County
In his emergency declaration today, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page restricted gatherings larger than 250, with the exception of schools and religious gatherings.
“It is further provided that any person who organizes a gather of 249 people or less shall take appropriate action to minimize risk to the greatest extent possible by implementing and enforcing mitigation measures, including but not limited to social distancing, limiting the time period of gatherings, cleaning of all surfaces, and posting of signs,” it reads.
“It is further declared unlawful for any person to organize or to attend an intentional gathering of more than 10 individuals of high-risk groups as that term may be defined by the Director of Department of Public Health.” Read Page’s complete executive order and get other COVID-19 information at
https://stlouisco.com/Your-Government/County-Executive/COVID-19
St. Charles County
St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann declared a State of Emergency on March 13. “I am declaring this as an emergency to better arm the county against the unknowns of this pandemic, and so that we can access potential federal funding should the need arise. Our Department of Public Health is advising the public to not attend gatherings of 250 people or more in a single indoor space, and for persons especially vulnerable to COVID-19 to not attend gatherings of 10 or more people,” Ehlmann stated. “When making that decision, crowd size, venue, and audience age and health are considered. Any events that have been cancelled or postponed in St. Charles County have been the decision of the organizer.” https://www.sccmo.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1459
Colleges and universities
The University of Missouri System is putting all of its courses online from the remainder of the spring semester, affecting more than 70,000 students at its campuses in St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia and Rolla. It is keeping all campus dormitories, libraries and cafeterias open. https://mualert.missouri.edu/coronavirus/
Washington University in St. Louis enacted restrictions, put classes online and are sending students packing for the remainder of the semester by March 15. https://emergency.wustl.edu/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/covid-19-faqs/
Prevention
Prevention is the biggest weapon against COVID-19. The consistent message from health officials and leaders is not to panic, buy at the store only what you need; older people stay off of planes and cruise ships, and everyone wash you hands thoroughly and often, for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if you are lucky enough to find some in the store when soap and water is not available.
The St. Louis County Department of Public Health asks that community members continue to be aggressive with social distancing and community mitigation measures in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
- Practice social distancing
- Act on community mitigation measures
- Wash your hands often throughout the day with warm water and soap.
- If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand gel.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
- using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
If you feel sick
If you have symptoms and have been in contact with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus, call the St. Louis County Hotline at 314-615-2660. For general information and guidance contact the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services hotline at 877-435-8411 or dial 2-1-1.
Cancellations and postponements
This evening, the Archdiocese of St. Louis released a statement in response to COVID-19 from The Most Reverend Robert J. Carlson, Archbishop of St. Louis, that reads in part, that “ all Catholics within the Archdiocese of St. Louis are dispensed from their obligation to attend Sunday Mass for the next three weekends (March 14-15, March 21-22 and March 28-29).”
There will be no casino gambling in Illinois after this weekend. All 10 of Illinois casinos are closing for two weeks. The Illinois Gaming Board is suspending gambling operations for two weeks, beginning on Monday March 16.
For more information on COVID-19 and the new coronavirus, visit www.cdc.gov.
