ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Three members of the St. Louis County council said they have a plan to reopen the county, with some businesses opening within four weeks.
Republican Council members Tim Fitch, Ernie Trakas and Mark Harder introduced the details of their plan during a press conference at noon Thursday. They said the plan would start reopening businesses on May 4, the same day the Missouri stay-at-home order expires. And businesses would be fully open by the week of June 22.
"Indefinitely is not something you can take to the bank," Harder said. "We’re all waiting on Mr. Page to make a decision. We’re making sure we can give a light to the end of the tunnel to our residents and business owners, big and small."
County Executive Sam Page, a Democrat, has repeatedly said the stay-at-home order is in place until further notice.
“The County Executive had a productive conversation this morning with the three council members and we will continue to listen to their perspectives," said Doug Moore, Page's Director of Communications in a written statement. "We will have more information tomorrow and at our Monday, Wednesday and Friday press conferences.”
The council members said they developed the plan "based on research of a number of other reopening plans which have been proposed around the country, to reopen St. Louis County businesses and start insulating against the economic fallout of a full two month shutdown of more than two-thirds of the county's economic drivers."
Fitch said during their meeting Page indicated he would agree on the substance of the plan, but not necessarily the timeline.
"The public needs to know that St. Louis County government has a plan to open," Fitch said.
The proposed plan reopens businesses by sector, differentiated by the manner in which they deal with customers, using a phased-in approach over an eight week period, the release said. Most businesses would be back in operation to some extent in four weeks with guidelines for maintaining appropriate social protocols.
The plan relies on a manageable rate of new cases, and hospital capacity to deal with extreme cases, in order to move forward through each phase.
Read the entire plan:
