KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced Thursday morning he has extended the state of emergency in Missouri through March 31, 2021, as the number of COVID-19 cases in the state continues to increase.
Parson acknowledged that the recent spike of COVID-19 cases – which now stands in excess of 260,000 cases – has put the state’s hospital systems, specifically staffing, in a precarious position.
“The truth of the matter is hospitalization is becoming a problem,” Parson said. “We’re going to have to do everything we can to curb that issue.”
Parson said that among the things his administration is exploring to help alleviate the stress on Missouri's hospitals include working with the military and exploring bringing in people from other states.
"Everything is on the table," Parson said
As he has since the beginning of the pandemic, Parson returned to his principal prevention strategy in the state: personal responsibility.
“It’s up to every one of us whether we are going to take the personal responsibility to slow this down,” Parson said.
The governor also reiterated that while he supports the usage of masks, he does not believe the state-level government should be in the position of mandating mask wearing.
Parson said the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services would be releasing additional public health warnings later Thursday.
