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Missouri relaxes rules on when students must quarantine after COVID exposure
Students and teachers in Missouri school districts may no longer have to quarantine from the classroom for a full 14 days if they have come into contact with a positive COVID-19 case, under new guidance released by the state on Thursday. If both the close contact and individual who tested positive were wearing masks “appropriately […]
Kids reported abuse at schools where Missouri has no oversight. Lawmakers want to change that
Despite dozens of students coming forward sharing allegations of abuse they suffered at Christian reform schools across Missouri, the state Department of Social Services said Monday that they have no oversight over such facilities. That’s because they’re unlicensed — and allowed to be under a Missouri law that exempts facilities operated by religious organizations. And […]
‘Won’t be able to survive’: Childcare centers serving low-income Missourians face closure
Cortaiga Collins doesn’t know how much longer her childcare center will survive. Only about a dozen children have been attending regularly amid the pandemic. Under normal circumstances, she used to serve as many as 100. She’s already had to reduce the hours that Good Shepherd Preschool and Infant/Toddler Center in St. Louis can be open, […]
White House recommends Missouri reduce restaurant capacity, urges residents to wear masks
In a Nov. 1 report, the White House Coronavirus Task Force urged Missouri to implement stricter measures, including reducing indoor dining and always wearing a mask in public, to curb “unrelenting spread and increasing new hospital admissions” of the novel coronavirus. Missouri was one of 11 states that fell into the “red zone” last week […]
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft fends off challenge from Yinka Faleti
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft sailed to victory Tuesday night over his Democratic challenger Yinka Faleti and will go on to serve as Missouri’s top election official for another four years. Ashcroft, the Republican incumbent, was leading by about 640,960 votes with over 95 percent the state’s precincts reporting shortly after midnight, according to the […]
Mike Parson defeats Nicole Galloway in race for Missouri governor
Republican Mike Parson has secured a full four-year term as Missouri’s governor, scoring victory Tuesday night over his Democratic challenger Nicole Galloway. Parson, 65, led Galloway, 38, by more than 442,000 votes with over 95 percent of the state’s precincts reporting shortly after midnight, according to the Secretary of State’s unofficial results. The Associated Press called […]
Missouri medical marijuana trial focuses on alleged role of insiders on license rules
A Missouri family that was denied a license to grow medical marijuana alleged in court this week that outside groups and individuals had undue access to top state officials — and that access led to an opaque process and contributed to the decision to cap the number of licenses granted. To buttress their case, plaintiffs […]
‘Emotional rollercoaster’: County health agencies struggle to get federal COVID-19 funds
In Ripley County, if you want to get tested for the novel coronavirus, your options are limited. It’s been two years since the county’s hospital closed its doors. An urgent care clinic that offers COVID tests has opened in its place, but it’s only open weekdays. Sometimes mobile drive-through testing sites come through. But many […]
Initial shipment of thousands of antigen COVID tests sent to Missouri schools
Thousands of antigen tests to detect the novel coronavirus have been shipped to school districts across the state in an effort to help bolster testing capacity, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced this week. Nearly 330 public and private school districts requested nearly 583,000 tests through the state’s BinaxNOW Antigen Testing Program. […]
Nearly half of Missouri’s COVID deaths occurred in nursing homes
Nearly half of all coronavirus deaths in Missouri have occurred in nursing homes, with the highest total coming in St. Louis County, according to a new analysis of federal data from Saint Louis University researchers. At least 24 facilities around the state have reported 100 or more cases among residents and staff, and at least […]
Missouri makes COVID data available to download, explains difference in positivity rate
For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the Department of Health and Senior Services made some — but not all — of its data on the coronavirus outbreak available to download this week. In a new tab on its website, DHSS now includes accessible data breaking down tests, cases and deaths by […]
Missouri health department investigating complaint of ‘mold growth’ on medical marijuana
Update: On Thursday, the Department of Health and Senior Services announced that after retesting the batch in question, it “found no evidence that the product batch presents a health and safety concern.” Days after the first legal sales of medical marijuana in Missouri, the Department of Health and Senior Services announced it’s investigating a complaint […]