West Plains, Mo. – Last week, a number of county health departments said they would stop all COVID-19-related reporting following a Cole County court case nullifying mask and quarantine orders. Counties that stopped COVID-19 work while waiting on further instruction from state health officials include Dunklin, Laclede, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Scott, and Stoddard counties.
Ozark Radio News spoke with Howell County Health Director Chris Gilliam about how the local health department is dealing with the ruling:
COVID-19 cases have continued to climb since mid-November with over 100 new cases reported in the county last week. While the ruling does remove the ability for health departments to enforce mask mandates or quarantine orders, the Howell County Health Department will continue to offer guidance to the county on how best to handle the current pandemic.
Notably, this court ruling will hamper any health orders that deal with future pandemics and health crisis. For more information on the letter sent by Attorney General Schmitt, click here.
