Missouri balks at state mandates despite ‘red zone’ status

(AP) — Missouri’s top health official insists a statewide mandate for masks and social distancing doesn’t make sense, even though the federal government has designated the state a “red zone” for new coronavirus cases.

Dr. Randall Williams, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, told KCUR-FM radio for a report published Monday that the designation is cause for concern. He says Missouri is a diverse state and that instead of a statewide mandate he favors a strategy that supports local officials.

But others note the virus is spreading more freely among counties without links to crowded facilities such as nursing homes and meatpacking plants.