Cape County PHC reacts to new state law

The new chairman of the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center (PHC) Board of Trustees said he is generally supportive of new legislation signed by Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday limiting the duration of restrictions imposed by local governments in health emergencies.

John Freeze, a retired dentist, was elected as PHC chairman in April to replace the late Roland Sander.

“My general thought is I’m OK with (the law),” said Freeze, “and if we ever issued another order — like a face mask requirement — I’m sure we could work with the county commissioners on that.”

The county’s health officer, PHC director Jane Wernsman, seconds Freeze’s motion.

“I concur because this bill follows up the strong working relationship we have with our (county) commission and our community partners,” she said, noting by example the cooperation established in 1996 and maintained since in the intergovernmental local infectious disease task force.

The legislation, which began in the General Assembly’s lower chamber as House Bill 271, won overwhelming support May 12, passing 147-2.

The Senate voted the same day and passed the measure 29-3.

Representatives Jamie Burger (R-148/Benton), Rick Francis (R-145/Perryville), Barry Hovis (R-146/Whitewater) and Wayne Wallingford (R-147) all voted in the affirmative as did their Senate colleague Holly Rehder (R-27).

Cape Girardeau County’s mask order, imposed last year in July and reaffirmed in October was lifted March 8.

The new law has two main parts governing any future orders, since most restrictions now have been lifted in the wake of falling COVID-19 cases and slowly rising levels of vaccination.

• If the governor declares a state of health emergency in the future, any local order restricting businesses, churches, schools or other public places may last no longer than 30 days. An order may be extended once but after that, a further extension would need the county’s governing body — the Cape Girardeau County Commission, in this case — to approve in a simple majority vote.
• If the governor does not issue a state of emergency, a local order may only be in effect for 21 days. After one extension, continuing the order subsequently would require a two-thirds vote of the county commission.

“We never restricted businesses as a public health board beyond the stay-at-home order issued by the governor early on (in the pandemic),” said Freeze, a 1971 Cape Girardeau Central graduate and a 1975 Southeast Missouri State University alumnus.

Impetus

“My understanding is the whole background of this bill is aimed at St. Louis County,” said Freeze, referring to County Executive Sam Page’s decision to close businesses “for about nine months.”

“(Page) was way too restrictive so they passed this bill out that will impact all health boards statewide and I’m OK with it because I know at what the legislature was aiming,” he added.

Documentation

The new law also forbids local COVID-19 vaccine passports and prohibits county or municipal governments receiving public funds from requiring citizens to produce written evidence of vaccination in order access transportation (e.g., a bus) or other public services.

Freeze, like Parson, said he opposes such passports but remains bullish on vaccination.

“I think (getting the vaccine) is the only way we’re going to defeat (COVID),” he said.

“I’d sure like to get 70% of Cape County inoculated and I’m disappointed the rate of vaccinations here have declined,” Freeze concluded.