During today’s COVID-19 briefing, Governor Mike Parson announced that Phase 1 of the state’s “Show Me Strong Recovery” Plan has been extended from Sunday, May 31, 2020, through Monday, June 15, 2020.
“We are very pleased with how well Phase 1 has gone so far,” Governor Parson said.
“Businesses, communities, and Missourians across the state have done a great job of implementing health and safety measures, and we continue to be encouraged by data across the state.”
Resting on four essential pillars, the “Show Me Strong Recovery” Plan is intended to protect those most at risk of exposure to COVID-19 while helping Missouri recover economically:
-Expand testing capacity and volume in the state
-Expand reserves of PPE by opening public and private supply chains
-Continue to monitor and, if necessary, expand hospital and health care system capacity
-Improve ability to predict potential outbreaks using Missouri's public health data
Extending Phase 1 of the plan through June 15 aligns with Governor Parson’s other Executive Orders as well as the state of emergency in Missouri.
Additionally, some communities are farther along than others in the recovery process. Extending Phase 1 will give communities more time to prepare and align efforts as the state continues working toward Phase 2.
“I want to assure you that our efforts are showing positive results, and we are still in a good place with all four of our recovery pillars,” Governor Parson said. “We are extending Phase 1 not because Missouri has taken steps back, but because we want to continue the progress we’ve made and make sure we are fully prepared for Phase 2.”
During Phase 1, citizens may re-engage in economic and social activities but must adhere to social distancing requirements, including maintaining six feet of space between individuals in most cases.
There are currently no limitations on social gatherings as long as necessary precautions are taken and six feet of distance can be maintained between individuals and/or families. Additionally, all businesses can be open provided that the social distancing guidelines set forth in the health order are followed.
Local officials will still have the authority to put further rules, regulations, or ordinances in place so long as they are not inconsistent with the statewide order.
To view the full public health order, click here. For additional guidelines and frequently asked questions, click here. More information on the “Show Me Strong Recovery” Plan can be found at showmestrong.mo.gov.
Aligning with economic recovery, Governor Parson also announced during today’s briefing that Tooling Tech Group (TTG), the second largest tooling provider in the United States, is investing $4.5 million to expand its Washington, Missouri, operations by 21,000 square feet.
TTG currently operates out of 114,000 square feet at two locations in Washington – Town & Country Industrial Park and 431 W-W Industrial Park where the expansion is underway.
The Washington division specializes in engineer-to-order die cast tooling for the automotive and outdoor products industries, including extensive die repair and laser welding capability. The company plans to increase its team by 25 over the next five years with engineers, programmers, precision machinists, and die mechanics.
“Throughout these challenging times, Missouri has remained strong and resilient,” Governor Parson said. “Seeing companies like Tooling Tech Group expand in our state gives us hope and confidence as we move forward on the path to economic recovery.”
From a testing standpoint, Missouri continues to make progress with its COVID-19 testing plan. From May 20 through May 27, the state exceeded both its sentinel and community sampling testing goals.
For sentinel testing, 6,466 tests were planned from May 20 through May 27, and 8,127 tests were conducted. For community sampling, 2,250 tests were planned, and 2,971 were conducted. The state came very close to its goal for box-in testing, completing approximately 4,539 tests out of a planned 4,670.
In addition to efforts at the state level, CVS Health today announced it will open 22 new COVID-19 testing sites at select CVS Pharmacy drive-thru locations across Missouri as part of its nationwide COVID-19 response. Self-swab tests will be available to individuals meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria as well as state and age guidelines.
Patients will remain in their vehicles and be directed to the pharmacy drive-thru window. At the window, they will be provided with a test kit and instructions. A CVS Pharmacy team member will observe the self-swab process to ensure it is done properly. Tests will then be sent to an independent, third-party lab for processing, and the results will be available in approximately three days.
“These testing sites will be a huge help as we continue to increase testing in Missouri, and we are grateful for CVS’s commitment to slowing the spread and keeping our citizens healthy and safe,” Governor Parson said.
For updates on COVID-19 cases, testing, deaths, and hospitalizations in Missouri, view the state’s interactive dashboard.
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