City of St. Louis and St. Louis County Take New Approach to COVID-19 Response
Personal Responsibility Will Be Relied On Moving Forward
This article is 3 years old. It was published on May 14, 2021.
Due to the increase in the supply of COVID-19 vaccine and the on-going daily increase in the number of residents getting vaccinated in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County, both jurisdictions have rescinded their COVID-19 Health Commission’s Orders. Public health officials in the city and county are saying that trends and data reveal the metro area has reached significant benchmarks for new confirmed cases, new hospital admissions, total hospitalized patients and positivity rates. Residents are being reminded that the pandemic is not by any means over. The city and the county are simply at a place where a new strategy can be implemented.
The intent of the change in strategy is to ensure the maximum number of people and businesses take prudent precautions to reduce the exposure to, and slow the spread of, SARS CoV-2 the virus that causes COVID-19.
“We have arrived at a point in the pandemic where we have to lean more heavily on personal responsibility to prevent further spread of the virus,” says Dr. Fredrick Echols, acting director of health for the City of St. Louis. “The path to the end of the pandemic now relies heavily on individuals, academic institutions, places of worship and businesses.”
“Although our local strategy has changed we must remain vigilant in following the guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),” said Dr. Faisal Khan, director health for Saint Louis County. “We are counting on residents, visitors, and the business community to take the lead in this effort.”
Each Department of Health is encouraging their residents, schools, and businesses to use the departments as a resource as they monitor and implement CDC guidelines to continue to slow the spread of SARS CoV-2 and other communicable diseases, and protect the health of our communities.
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Department:
Department of Health
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Topic:
Immunizations and Public Health