Missouri Gov. Mike Parson issues statewide stay-at-home order

Missouri Gov.

Mike Parson announced a statewide stay-at-home order that goes into effect Monday, April 6 and lasts through April 24.

ABOUT COVID-19 AND THE STATE.GOVERNOR PARSON: THE PEOPLE OFTHIS STATE CLEARLY DEFINE WHOWE ARE IN MISSOURI AND ASGOVERNOR, I HAVE NO GREATERRESPONSIBILITY THAN TO PROTECTTHE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ALLMISSOURIANS.OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS,MANY HAVE SUPPORTED THEDECISIONS I HAVE MADE.AND I WOULD LIKE TO WALK YOUTHROUGH THE REASONS BEHIND THEDECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.MY ADMINISTRATION AND THEDEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SENIORSERVICES HAVE BEEN PLANNING THECOVID-19 WEEKS BEFORE MISSOURIRECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF ITSFIRST POSITIVE CASE.SINCE THAT FIRST POSITIVE CASE,ON MARCH 7, WE HAVE SPENTCOUNTLESS HOURS CONSULTING WITHMEDICAL EXPERTS AND LEADERS ALLACROSS THE STATE.WE HAVE COORDINATED WITH ALLLEVELS OF GOVERNMENT AND WEHAVE CONTINUALLY TOLDMISSOURIANS TO STAY AT HOME.ON MARCH 21, I ORDERED ASTATEWIDE SOCIAL DISTANCINGORDER.THIS REQUIRED THAT SOCIALGATHERINGS BE MORE THAN 10PEOPLE.AS WELL AS OTHER GUIDELINESWITH NO EXCEPTIONS.THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE MISSOURINEEDED TO BE AT THAT TIME.AS OF TODAY, OUT OF THE 24,727PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN TESTED INMISSOURI'S TOTAL POPULATION OFAPPROXIMATELY SIX MILLION,THERE HAVE BEEN 2,113 POSITIVECASES OF COVID-19.THOSE TESTED HAVE BEENPOSITIVE.THERE IS AT LEAST ONE POSITIVECASE IN 76 OF THE 114 COUNTIESIN MISSOURI.OVER HALF OF THE TOTAL POSITIVECASES ARE IN THE ST.

LOUISREGION.OF THE MISSOURI CITIZENS WHOHAVE TESTED POSITIVE,APPROXIMATELY 22% HAVE REQUIREDHOSPITALIZATION.THIS MEANS THE REMAINING 78%ALREADY RECOVERED.I AM SADDENED TO REPORTMISSOURI HAS 19 DEATHS AT THISTIME.OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO THEIRFORTUNATELY MISSOURI'S COVID-19DEATH RATE IS BELOW 1% AS OFTOGETHER WE MUST CONTINUE TOCONTROL, TO CONTAIN AND FIGHTTHE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OFMISSOURI, I AM ORDERING ASTATEWIDE STAY AT HOME MISSOURIORDER FOR ALL MISSOURIANSBEGINNING AT 12:01 A.M.

MONDAY,APRIL 6, UNTIL 11:59 P.M.,FRIDAY, APRIL 24.THIS ORDER REQUIRES INDIVIDUALSCURRENTLY RESIDING WITHIN THESTATE OF MISSOURI SHALL AVOIDLEAVING THEIR HOMES OR PLACESOF RESIDENCE.ALL INDIVIDUALS IN THE STATE OFMISSOURI SHALL AVOID SOCIALGATHERINGS OF MORE THAN 10PEOPLE.ALL PUBLIC AND CHARTER SCHOOLSMUST REMAIN CLOSED.THIS ORDER ALSO COVERS THE TIMEFRAME OF EXISTINGMUNICIPALITIES AND COURTORDERS.LET ME SAY THIS.THAT CALL MISSOURI HOME.WE LIVE IN SMALL TOWNS ANDLARGE CITIES.AND OUR DIVERSITY IS ONE OF THEGREATEST ADVANTAGES WE HAVE INTHAT IS ALSO WHY THIS DECISIONHAS WEIGHED SO HEAVILY ON ME.IT IS JUST NOT ABOUTENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO STAYHOME.I HAVE DONE THAT EVERY DAY INTHESE WEEKLY BRIEFINGS FOR TWOWEEKS, ENCOURAGED PEOPLE TOSTAY AT HOME.IT IS HAVING THE POWER OFGOVERNOR TO PICK WINNERS ANDLOSERS AND WHETHER I FEEL IT ISAPPROPRIATE FOR ME TO USE THEPOWER BY DETERMINING WHO ISESSENTIAL AND WHO IS NOT.THIS POWER IS SOMETHING I THINKSHOULD BE RARE FOR GOVERNMENT.TO EVER TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.AND FOR ONE PERSON TO MAKE THEDECISION FOR SIX MILLIONMISSOURIANS WITHOUT DUE PROCESSJEOPARDIZING THEIR LIBERTIES.OVER 100,000 PEOPLE HAVE FILEDFOR UNEMPLOYMENT IN OUR STATE.AND I'M SURE THEY WOULD ALLTELYOU THAT THEIR JOBS WEREESSENTIAL.THEIR SPOUSES, THEIR FAMILIES,AND EVERYONE WHO DEPENDS ONTHEM THOUGHT THEIR JOBS WEREESSENTIAL.MANY ORDERS WERE PUT INTO PLACEEARLIER ON IN OTHER STATES ANDMANY CITIES, WITHOUT THINKINGABOUT THE UNINTENDEDCONSEQUENCES.HUNDREDS OF BUSINESSES WEREDECLARED ESSENTIAL.THOUSANDS WERE DECLAREDNONESSENTIAL.WHAT WE HAVE SEEN AND WHAT THEMEDICAL EXPERTS HAVE TOLD US ISTHAT IN SOME INSTANCES THEESSENTIAL BUSINESSES HAVEBECOME HOT BEDS FORTO THOSE LOCATIONS AND RISKEDSPREADING THE VIRUS EVENFURTHER.THAT IS A TUNNEL EFFECT WHEREWE HAVE ALLOWED A SHORT NUMBER,A SMALL NUMBER OF BUSINESSES TOBE OPEN, AND PEOPLE CONTINUEDTO GO THERE WITH NOSUPERVISION, WITH NO AUTHORITYOF THE NUMBERS THAT CAN BE INTHIS HAS CREATED AN UNINTENDEDEFFECT FOR EVERYDAYMISSOURIANS.THEREFORE, MY ORDER WILLPROVIDE A CLEAR FRAMEWORK TOALLOW BUSINESSES TO OPERATE,BUT THEY WILL HAVE TO FOLLOWTHIS ORDER REQUIRES.BY TIGHTENING THESE EXEMPTIONSTHAT HAVE LED TO THE UNINTENDEDFURTHER THAN ANY DIRECTIVE INTHE STATE.MAYORS AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERSAND COUNTY EXECUTIVES, IF YOUWOULD LIKE TO PUT ANY FURTHERRESTRICTIONS IN PLACE, THAT ISUP TO YOU.BECAUSE YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE ANDTO MAKE MAJOR SACRIFICES IN OURLIVES.MANY OF US MAKE SACRIFICES EACHAND EVERY DAY.BUT NOW MORE THAN EVER, WE MUSTALL MAKE SACRIFICES.KNOTTS ABOUT ANY ONE INDIVIDUALPERSON.THIS IS ABOUT OUR FAMILIES, OURFRIENDS AND OUR NEIGHBORS.THIS IS ABOUT THE ENTIRE STATEOF MISSOURI.THIS STATE IS MADE UP OFWINNERS AND TO WIN THIS BATTLEAGAINST COVID-19, IT'S GOING TOTAKE EACH ONE OF US DOING OURPART AND PUTTING OUT OUR BEST.OUR ACTIONS TODAY WILLDETERMINE THE FUTURE.SO FOR THE SAKE OF ALLMISSOURIANS, BE SMART, BERESPONSIBLE AND FOLLOW THISORDER.STAY AT HOME, MISSOURI.GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES