Eureka Mayor Sean Flower has announced the city’s intent to resume economic and social activity Monday (May 4), following the governor’s recovery plan rather than the stay-at-home order St. Louis County has in place indefinitely to stem the spread of COVID-19.
Most of Eureka is in St. Louis County, although a small portion is in Jefferson County, which also has announced it will follow the governor’s plan and reopen activities Monday.
“We can no longer follow the rules we are under without economic ruin,” Flower said in letter he posted Tuesday night (April 28) on Facebook. “We are going to need to learn to both deal with the virus, while at the same time opening our economy, restoring our kids’ lives and opportunities, and taking care of our families and our country.”
St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said in a press conference this morning (April 29) that he recommends businesses in St. Louis County get “good legal advice” before opening and operating outside that county’s laws.
“I want the economy to be strong again, too,” Page said. “I understand our businesses are suffering, our families are suffering, and we have to find a path forward.”
Page said he plans to make an announcement about this reopening plan later this week or early next week.
Flower said in his letter, however, that Eureka cannot wait any longer to begin reopening the economy.
He did not return a call for additional comments.
On Tuesday morning, Page announced the reopening of about 30 county parks.
“That was an important milestone,” he said. “Opening our parks was the first step, but we have many steps to go, many steps remaining.”
Flower pointed out that not only Jefferson County, but also Franklin and St. Charles counties plan to reopen economic and social activity Monday.
He also said Eureka doesn’t always operate like St. Louis County.
“Eureka respects St. Louis County, and appreciates the Health Department, doctors, nurses and professionals who have worked to keep our area safe. This includes our own Police Department and Fire Department,” he said in the letter. “But even during this process, Eureka has differed from the county on issues (we kept all our parks open during this entire order for example).
“And we differ on the issue of extending of the stay-at-home’ guidance ‘indefinitely.’”
According to St. Louis County COVID-19 statistics, Eureka has 62 positive cases as of today.
Flower said in an April 22 Facebook post that Marymount Manor, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation community with residential-care apartments in Eureka, had 29 positive cases.
The Jefferson County portion of Eureka ad four reported positive cases and all four cases have recovered, according to the Jefferson County Health Department.
As of today, Missouri had 7,425 positive cases of the coronavirus and 318 deaths related to the disease, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Anyone who shows coronavirus symptoms or who has questions should call the Missouri State Hotline at 877-435-8411 or the Mercy Clinical Support Line at 314-251-0500.
For more information about COVID-19, visit stlcorona.com.
