Conquering COVID-19: Keeping Missourians Safe

OCTOBER 29, 2020

Jefferson City — Since COVID-19 struck Missouri nearly eight months ago, Governor Mike Parson and his administration have worked continuously to combat the virus and keep Missourians as safe as possible. 

The Governor’s Office was initially briefed on the COVID-19 pandemic by Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) Director Dr. Randall Williams on January 28, 2020, and immediately began taking steps to prepare. 

When Missouri’s first positive case was identified on March 7, Governor Parson immediately traveled to St. Louis for the announcement. Since that time, Governor Parson’s administration, Missouri's 16 executive agencies, and numerous stakeholders from across the state have worked together to respond, rebuild, and recover.  

“A tremendous amount of work has been accomplished over the past eight months, and it does not stop here,” Governor Parson said. “We have come a long way since March, and we will continue to do everything we can to respond to COVID-19 and keep Missourians safe.” 

Since March, the state has taken numerous actions to respond and adapt to COVID-19, including the following: 

  • Pulled together the entire Cabinet and every state agency to coordinate response efforts
  • Convened weekly calls with community leaders and medical experts
  • Waived nearly 600 statutes and regulations to provide more flexibility and safety for Missourians
  • Mobilized the Missouri National Guard to assist with COVID-19 response 
  • Constructed an alternate care site in 11 days to assist hospitals in the St. Louis region
  • Significantly expanded COVID-19 testing to over 100,000 tests per week 
  • Delivered Remdesivir to hospitals across the state
  • Partnered with Google to launch the PPE Marketplace
  • Launched interactive COVID-19 dashboards including public health, economic recovery, and social impact data
  • Launched the Show Me Strong Recovery Plan to help Missouri safely and gradually recover from COVID-19
  • Submitted a comprehensive COVID-19 vaccine response plan to the CDC 

A new page highlighting Missouri’s COVID-19 response efforts can be found on Governor Parson’s website. Topics include education, public safety, child care and families, vulnerable populations, mental health, business and economy, and the four Show Me Strong Recovery pillars – testing, PPE, health care system capacity, and data. 

To learn more about the Show Me Strong Recovery Plan, visit showmestrong.mo.gov. For additional information and resources regarding COVID-19 in Missouri, visit health.mo.gov/coronavirus.