Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and his wife Teresa have tested positive for COVID-19, the state's Health and Senior Services Director Dr. Randall Williams announced Wednesday, perPeople. While Parson didn't show any symptoms related to the virus, Teresa was "mildly symptomatic." Both will remain in isolation for 10 days.
The announcement comes after Parson vouched for children to return to school in July, conceding that kids will assuredly contract the virus upon their return to classes, but "they're going to get over it."
"These kids have got to get back to school," Parson said. "They're at the lowest risk possible. And if they do get COVID-19, which they will — and they will when they go to school — they're not going to the hospitals. They're not going to have to sit in doctor's offices. They're going to go home and they're going to get over it."
"We gotta move on," he continued. "We can't just let this thing stop us in our tracks."
Even as the coronavirus hits so close to home with Parson, Williams remains steadfast in only enforcing the use of hand sanitizer and maintaining social distancing, while continuing to be indifferent about implementing a statewide face covering mandate.
"We certainly think that here in Missouri, one size doesn't fit all," he said. "We just think that if you're too draconian everywhere, that people will really — it's almost as if it creates more problems than it solves. But I want to be very, very clear: that we want everybody to use hand sanitizer... to social distance. It's really important... and then if you can't do that, no matter where you are in Missouri, you need to wear a mask."
Williams' stance towards masks is similar to that of Parson, who preferred the decision be left to the person and not the politicians, saying at an event in July, per ABC News, "You don’t need government to tell you to wear a dang mask. If you want to wear a dang mask, wear a mask."
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