As COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to increase in Greene County, the City of Springfield plans to step up enforcement of the city’s mask ordinance. Springfield city manager, Jason Gage, announced the increased enforcement at the Springfield City Council lunch Tuesday.
The announcement came after Springfield-Greene County Health Department director, Clay Goddard, told council eight more Greene County residents have died of COVID-19. Nineteen deaths were announced Monday.
Gage told council it’s time to issue citations.
"And the reason it's time is because the most difficult phase of the entire pandemic, we are entering into right now," he said, "so, it's time to match our enforcement with that difficulty in this phase and the burden that places on people."
Gage said more information will be coming soon.
Springfield City Council will vote December 14 on a renewal of the city’s mask ordinance. It’s set to expire on January 9, 2021.
CoxHealth president and CEO Steve Edwards and Mercy president, Brent Hubbard, told council they're struggling to have enough staff to care for COVID-19 and other patients as some employees have to quarantine or isolate. And Edwards said both Cox and Mercy are having to turn down patient transfer requests from rural hospitals about 60 percent of the time.
Both Hubbard and Edwards expect to see COVID-19 patient numbers increase in the next few days due to the Thanksgiving holiday and people gathering despite being advised not to.
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