Opinion -- State Nurses, Physicians Associations Urge Mask Mandate

 By the Missouri State Medical Association and the Missouri Nurses Association

Back in July, the physicians and nurses who comprise the Missouri State Medical Association (MSMA) and the Missouri Nurses Association (MONA), joined together to urge Missouri’s Governor Mike Parson to implement a statewide masking requirement. That request was over 200,000 cases ago and we are in a much more precarious situation then we were in back this summer. 

Our organizations remain in favor of a statewide mask requirement; however, due to the Governor’s hesitancy in implementing such an order, we sent him a letter last week presenting some other mitigation techniques that have been successful in other states. We hope that the Governor may find these actions more palatable:

–We ask the Governor to wear a mask in public at all times to emphasize the personal responsibility mantra he has mentioned repeatedly during press conferences and on his social media accounts.

–Encourage citizens to stay home regardless of whether they feel sick or have symptoms, and to only go places outside their homes when absolutely necessary, including limiting his own travel.

–Encourage churches and other houses of worship to implement their own masking mandates, offer online services, and utilize social distancing measures.

–Close bars and nightclubs, or, in the alternative, require them to cease operations at 10:00 pm.

–Mandate reduced occupancy at health clubs and gyms, and restrict in-person classes.

–Encourage Missourians to keep holiday gatherings small this season, and to restrict the sizes of indoor gatherings in general.

–Recommend all citizens receive the flu vaccine this year.

–Require restaurant service to take place through delivery, carryout, or curbside service only.

–Encourage businesses to not only adopt, but robustly enforce their own masking policies and to implement mitigation-friendly services such as curbside pickup.

We strongly believe that statewide problems demand statewide solutions.

We hope these will serve as a starting point for the Parson administration in enacting statewide policies that will mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The frontline physicians and nurses who are battling this disease, and who are saving the lives of Missourians every day, urge the Governor to action NOW to help and support the healthcare workers and citizens statewide.