Local officials await further guidance on governor's stay-at-home order

Local officials were awaiting further guidance Saturday regarding Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s stay-at-home order, which was issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The governor announced he would be issuing some other guidance later this afternoon or early this evening for certain areas,” Butler County Emergency Management Agency Director Robbie Myers said at the 2 p.m. briefing. “We’re just going to see what they push down and trying to make sense of that, so we, hopefully, can all be in compliance when it goes into effect on Monday.”

Myers assured Butler countians no identification or special paperwork will be needed to go to work or the grocery store after the order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday.

“We’re encouraging people to stay home when they can and just use common sense,” Myers said. “Right now, you do not have to have any kind of specialized ID for your trip (but) when you go to the store, get in and get out.”

During the governor’s Saturday briefing, Department of Agriculture Director Chris Chinn described the state’s food supply as strong, as is Missouri’s agriculture industry.

Both Chinn and a Sysco CEO reported “our food supply is strong, our chain is strong in this state,” Parson said. “Yes, we are going to limit the number of people who can go into these stores, not because of a shortage of food, not because you’re not going to be able to obtain your groceries, Parson said. “We’ll make sure everyone gets fed.

“We’ll make sure you get your groceries, but the one thing we have to do is make sure we keep people separated because of the coronavirus.”

That, Parson said, is why the orders were issued.

“That’s why people need to be patient,” Parson said. “They need to understand they’re gonna have the opportunity to buy groceries. We’re going to deliver groceries to them. They can do it online.”

State leaders know “this is an extremely difficult time,” Parson said. “It’s a time when we must all make sacrifices.

“Being at home is the safest place you can be for yourself, your family and your fellow Missourians.”

Myers stressed that point during Saturday’s briefing.

“The main point we would like to stress to everyone is if they can stay at home, they need to stay at home,” Myers said.

Officials, he said, also will be “pushing out information and guidance” from the Centers for Disease Control regarding cloth masks.

“We particularly want to do that with our local food establishments to make sure their workers are doing that,” Myers said.

As the pandemic continues, Myers said, “we’re getting close to guidance” saying anyone going out should “wear at least a cloth mask” to slow the spread of the virus.

“We will be working on that message here in the next couple of days,” Myers said.

Officials, Myers said, also soon will be sharing a CDC demonstration on how to make your owns masks at home without any sewing involved.

“Another part of that, we will be asking people that are wanting to help and can sew” to make masks, which then will be given to appropriate people in need, Myers said.

Designs for the masks are available Facebook pages of Saint Francis Health Care and the Butler County EMA.

On Saturday, the Butler County Health Department reported no new positive cases.

Myers had no information regarding the number of COVID-19 patients being treated at Poplar Bluff’s hospitals at this time. No one Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center participated in Saturday’s briefing.

The state, according to Parson, had tested approximately 25,000 Missourians, with 2,291 positive cases and 24 deaths.

Even though there is a stay-at-home order in place, Myers said, there are essential things that still have to go on.

“The great need we have and the whole nation has is blood donations,” Myers said.

To meet the low supply, Myers said, the Red Cross will host a community blood drive from 12-6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the Black River Coliseum.

“We encourage those that can to make time to donate blood,” Myers said. “I know it almost sounds contradictory of the stay at home, but it is a critical need. If blood donations don’t go up nationwide, we’re in for another health crisis nationwide associated with that.”

For more information, and to sign up, go online to www.redcrossblood.org.