ST CHARLES, Mo. — St. Charles County will follow the plan laid out by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson to return to work and social activities.
County Executive Steve Ehlmann made the decision because the rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county per 10,000 people is less than half of that in St. Louis and St. Louis County, according to a press release from Ehlmann's office.
“We believe St. Charles County is ready to reduce restrictions and, while continuing to require social distancing, allow individuals to make decisions on whether to frequent a business,” Ehlmann said in the release.
The county's health department will continue its efforts in contact tracing and quarantining those who test positive.
“We will continue to do everything in our power to make sure that, if St. Charles County residents decide to patronize a business, they are able to do so as safely as possible,’’ Ehlmann said. "As we re-open, it becomes even more important that every jurisdiction in the region be equally effective with its contact tracing.”
Ehlmann said the executive order he signed in March never required businesses to shut down, but many did so on their own.
“I left it up to residents and businesses to determine what was essential and both did a great job at doing so," he said. Our local retail stores and other places of public accommodation communicated social distancing requirements to customers and that has helped us to limit the spread of COVID-19 enough that I feel we are ready to take the next step the Governor has recommended.”
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