As Missouri is set to “fully reopen” Tuesday, the state’s corrections and health departments issued guidance regarding visitation policies at its facilities.
Gov. Mike Parson, in announcing the next phase of reopening, stressed the COVID-19 crisis isn’t over. However, he said last week he’s “confident” the state is “much better prepared to deal with” the pandemic and could move forward.
The suspension on visitations will continue at least through Father’s Day weekend (June 21) at state prisons, the Department of Corrections (DOC) said in a letter Monday. And once visiting resumes, “start dates will vary from prison to prison,” it said.
Like DOC, the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) — following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — limited and restricted nursing and assisted living facilities from visitors in early March.
And as the state reopens, facilities will be allowed to conduct outdoor visitations or visits through an open window. The department instructs facilities to consider completing screenings of visitors, limiting visitors to those who test negative or have had coronavirus already, and restricting the number of visitors to up to two with social distancing requirements in place, among other things.
“We’re incredibly appreciative of all Missouri’s citizens and our providers whose efforts have allowed us to transition to this next phase,” Dr. Randall Williams, the DHSS director, said. “We recognize everyone’s patience and are thankful to share this welcome news so that our loved ones can visit together again while continuing to follow measures intended to protect their health.”
Since mid-May, the department has required congregate living facilities to report positive cases within 24 hours. In all, 222 long-term care facilities reported at least one positive case among staff or residents, DHSS said.
As for DOC, 51 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 along with 41 staff members; one inmate has died.
Overall, more than 16,000 Missourians have contracted coronavirus, and nearly 900 people have died.
EDITOR’S NOTE: For up-to-date information on coronavirus, check with the CDC and DHSS.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.
