Missouri Governor Mike Parson appeared on a St. Louis radio show on Friday and made some controversial remarks regarding children returning to school.
“These kids have to get back to school,” Parson told Marc Cox on The Marc Cox Show. “They’re at the lowest risk possible. And if they do get COVID-19, which they will — and they will when they go to school — they’re not going to the hospitals. They’re not going to sit in doctor’s offices. They’re going to go home, and they’re going to get over it.”
Parson downplayed the risk of children getting the infection, stating that children do not typically get seriously ill from COVID-19, but that we would worry more for the teachers, administrators, support staff and volunteers who may have a more serious reaction to the virus, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
“We worry about those in school who are not children — teachers, support staff, and volunteers. Many of those people will have a much more serious response to the virus, and that is what we want to avoid. These children could also come home and spread the virus to others in their household who could also be at a greater risk of a serious outcome.”
“We gotta move on,” he said. “We can’t just let this thing stop us in our tracks.
On Monday, St. Louis public schools released their plans for holding in-person classes in the fall. According to the Hill, there will be three feet of space around each students’ desk, daily temperature screenings for students and staff, and face coverings will be required for all staff and students from fourth grade up.
1,130 people have died in Missouri from the coronavirus, despite a stay-at-home order that lasted several weeks in the spring to slow transmission. The state had a record high 958 new cases on Saturday.
In the same interview, Parsons said that if the McCloskey’s are charged for pointing guns at protestors, that he would pardon them. The couple waved guns and shouted at protestors as they marched past their mansion back in June.
