ST. LOUIS (KMOX/AP) - As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the St. Louis region, County Executive Dr. Sam page is warning that he may have to re-enact tighter restrictions.
Page says he'll be closely watching the numbers over the next week or two and if we don't "bend the curve of COVID" and start to see a decrease in hospitalizations, then he'll "have no choice but to roll back these restrictions."
"More restrictions on bars, more restrictions on restaurants, going to dine out, carry out only," Page says. "Those are definitely on the table. And if we don't turn the tide on COVID in our community in the next week or two, then we're going to be making some tough decisions."
Page says the key to avoiding a return to stricter measures is following the recommendations to wear a mask and socially distance from others.
Related: St. Louis privately warned by White House to take 'aggressive' action to slow COVID spike
You can watch the full announcement from Page on Thursday afternoon, here:
Confirmed cases of the coronavirus have risen sharply this month throughout the state. On average, 851 new cases have been reported each day for the past week, according to an Associated Press analysis of Johns Hopkins University's COVID-19 tracking project. That's almost double the seven-day rolling average from the week of July 7 through July 14, when an average of 443 confirmed cases was reported each day.
Related: 'No mask. NO SERVICE': St. Louis County creates new signs for businesses to display
On Wednesday, the state again broke its record for highest single-day increase in confirmed illnesses, with 1,301 new cases reported by the state health department. The previous record was set Tuesday.
In St. Louis County, some parents, youth sports coaches and leaders of facilities that host youth sports have spoken out against the decision to halt tournaments, games and scrimmages. The moratorium imposed by St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, a Democrat, began Monday. Teams can still practice, but only in groups of 10 or fewer and with no spectators.
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