COLE COUNTY, Mo. — The local stay-at-home order in place for Cole County will not be extended after it expires at 12:01 p.m. April 25.
The Cole County Health Department made the announcement in a Tuesday press release. The restrictions of Missouri's statewide stay-at-home order, currently in effect until May 3, will remain in place.
"As Cole County's first step into a recovery phase, the Cole County Health Departments recommendation is to not extend the local restrictions in Cole County's Stay at Home Order," the department said in the release. "In addition, the establishment order that pertains to restaurants, bars and clubs from March 19th will be rescinded effective today."
As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, there are 45 confirmed coronavirus cases in the county. Nine cases are active, while 35 people have recovered. The majority of the cases are travel-related or are people who contracted the virus from someone within their household, the county said.
In the county seat of Jefferson City, protesters were expected to gather at the capitol building Tuesday to call for the statewide order to be lifted.
Gov. Mike Parson said at an April 16 briefing that his administration is also working on a plan to reopen the state's economy.
"We have to be looking at two fronts, COVID-19 and the economy," Parson said at the briefing. "We gotta make sure we got to get all the care we can to protect people, but we also have to make sure we reopen the economy."
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