ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said the city and St. Louis County will make a decision jointly about when to reopen their jurisdictions.
"The City of St. Louis and St. Louis County will make that decision jointly so that the city and county are in sync with each other," she said during her briefing on Facebook live Monday afternoon. "We will make that decision in the next couple weeks."
Krewson said the St. Louis area has too many cases of the coronavirus to reopen on May 4, the date Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has said many other parts of the state will reopen.
To date, 49 people have died due to COVID-19 in the city. There are 1,037 total cases and 76 people are currently in quarantine according to the city's website. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services update on Monday said the city had 54 COVID-19 deaths.
"I think we just hit the peak this weekend," she said. "I know that people want to get back to work and we need to get back to work. Opening up the economy in a gradual way. On the other hand, I hear from people who are scared to go back. A whole balancing act."
Krewson also said there is still a lack of testing.
She also said the city has placed about 40 homeless people in shelters and that the city is working on closing two "encampments" that have popped up downtown because people are socializing and not practicing social distancing.
The city is currently under a stay-at-home order and Krewson said she will reevaluate it on May 15 or earlier.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is scheduled to hold a press conference Monday at 3 p.m., during which he will provide more details on his plan to reopen.
