- 33 -
accessHealthNews.net
January 2022
Volume 8 | Issue No. 53
I
n November 2021, a ruling by a Cole County
Circuit Court determined local authorities
did not have the power to impose COVID-19
public health orders. Missouri Attorney General
Eric Schmitt responded to the ruling by writing
to local health departments and schools,
ordering them to comply. Though several
districts rejected the order, promising to keep
existing mask mandates, many throughout
Southeast Missouri said they would immediately
pause COVID-19 tracking and prevention work,
including quarantine policies.
While many of these agencies have expressed
concern for the decision, they also reiterated
that they are required to follow the Attorney
General's orders. Some have even reported
that they are discussing the issue with other
health departments, lawyers, and the Missouri
Department of Health and Senior Services
(DHSS). Departments across southeast Missouri
all released similar statements last week,
notifying the public that the internal work
would continue, but public reporting and
policies would change until further notice with
no expectations or timeline to revert.
The Lee's Summit R-7 School District's legal
counsel responded with their own letter, stating
that Schmitt's cease and desist letters both
lack legal effect and are "simply wrong."
The counsel says Schmitt does not have the
authority to halt COVID-19 mitigation efforts
and that DHSS authority is not needed either.
The district also pointed out that school districts
were not parties in the court ruling and they
are therefore not bound to these requests.
Schmitt responded with a tweet stating he "set
the record straight" with the school district,
accompanied by another letter. In it, he cited
several court cases he believes grant him
the authority to issue these requests, leading
many to speculate if he plans to sue should
the district not comply. The Lee's Summit R-7
School District stated that they stand by their
original statement.
Schmitt is a Republican running for U.S. Senate
who has been vocally opposed to COVID-19
mandates and health orders. His latest outcry
for a return to "normal" comes just as a new
Variant of Concern, Omicron, has been
confirmed in Missouri. DHSS was notified of the
state's first case of Omicron on December 3
and has since confirmed the infected person
was a St. Louis resident who had recently
traveled domestically.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT OMICRON
According to Yale Medicine, early global data
show Omicron is likely to outcompete the Delta
variant. In mid-December of 2021, Omicron
surpassed Delta as the predominant strain in
the U.S. Omicron is also reported to be more
easily transmissible than Delta, although the
reasons why are still uncertain. One potential
concern is the 50 mutations Omicron carries
that have not been seen together previously
and will take more time and research to fully
understand.
Community sewershed samples in Missouri
demonstrate the presence of Omicron in
Missouri, the prevalence of which is growing
every week according to DHSS.
Ready to #GetTheShot?
Find a vaccine near you at MOStopsCOVID.Gov
