Missouri Hospital Association writes letter to Gov. Parson, pushes for statewide mask mandate

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - As COVID-19 cases surge to record levels in Missouri and nationwide, the Missouri Hospital Association is calling for action.

The Missouri Hospital Association recently wrote a letter to Gov. Mike Parson, urging him to issue a statewide mask mandate in response to the pandemic.

The letter was dated on Friday, Nov. 13 and signed by Herb Kuhn, the Missouri Hospital Association President and CEO. CoxHealth CEO Steve Edwards shared the letter to Twitter on Sunday morning.

I have great respect for our Governor, I know him to be a caring person. I too appreciate local control. But we are now under uniform threat, like war, it requires a coordinated response. We each give to protect others, we buy time for the vaccine. “The wolf is at the door.” pic.twitter.com/BGtP5nJfHi
— Steve Edwards (@SDECoxHealth) November 15, 2020

According to the letter, Parson has had 20 conversations with MHA this year to exchange ideas and information. The letter says that conditions now are “far worse” than when the state started reporting cases in the spring.

The letter reads in part:

“The wolf is at the door. Missouri’s hospitals urge you to issue a statewide masking mandate. A mask mandate may be unappealing to some, but it has become necessary. We urge your immediate action on the issue.”

Missouri is averaging around 4,000 new cases of COVID-19 daily over the past week and reported more than 6,000 new cases Saturday. The state has reported 235,722 cases and 3,373 deaths from COVID-19.

On Thursday, Gov. Parson announced new quarantine guidance for Missouri schools to follow when exposed to a person with COVID-19. He is one of sixteen governors not to issue a statewide mask mandate in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.