Governor says health officials are playing blame game as state health department issues advisory

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Missouri

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (PA)

Missouri Governor Mike Parson said some Springfield hospital officials are trying to find someone to blame for a surge in COVID-19 cases in the region.

Officials at Springfield’s two largest hospitals have publicly warned the public that the delta variant is causing a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The increase prompted Springfield officials to cancel a popular Route 66 festival scheduled for mid-August. And last week, healthcare officials at Mercy said it would require employees at all of its hospitals to be vaccinated by the end of September.

Parson said on Tuesday that health officials should encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but should not try to scare them into doing so.

The Missouri Department of Health and Seniors’ Services issued a coronavirus advisory Thursday for several counties in southwest Missouri, including Greene, home of Springfield. These counties all have low vaccination rates, with only 18.4% in Newton County.

The Missouri Hospital Association, in its weekly COVID-19 update, calls the situation in southwest Missouri dire and says the signals for the rest of Missouri are worrying.

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