The head of St. Louis County's government on Monday urged its council to adopt a mask mandate amid a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
The request from St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, a Democrat, comes after a judge last week issued an order that, at least temporarily, halted a mask requirement for indoor public places that Page had announced last month. Republican Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt then sued to stop it after the County Council voted to overturn it. A hearing on a preliminary injunction is scheduled for Aug. 17.
Page said during a news conference that Missouri's largest county with about 1 million residents is now averaging 311 new COVID-19 cases each day — six times the number from two months ago. Data from St. Louis regional hospitals shows that 493 patients are hospitalized with the virus, compared with 93 hospitalizations in June.
The County Council meets Tuesday and Page urged passage of a mask requirement, a move that would make the court case moot. Schmitt’s lawsuit argued that Missouri law gives the council the authority to terminate the mask requirement.
Page said the council's vote in July “has brought confusion, anxiety and anger. Most importantly, the move could sicken more of our children who are not yet able to get the vaccine We are seeing younger people in our ICUs battling COVID-19.”
Statewide, cases and hospitalizations continue to rise.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services on Monday reported 1,119 new cases, bringing the pandemic total to 587,979. The death toll remained at 9,828.
Information from the state shows 2,136 people hospitalized with the virus, the highest number since January. Missouri hospital bed capacity is down to 17%, and capacity in intensive care units is at 16%.
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