ST. LOUIS COUNTY (KMOX) - St. Louis County has removed its "Face Covering Order" from its website and says the mandate has been rescinded.
A letter from acting health director Dr. Faisal Khan was revealed in court Thursday morning that states the Sept. 27 mask mandate was rescinded after a recent ruling in Cole County, Missouri and due to the St. Louis County County not approving a new Face Covering Order. The County has been in a legal battle after being sued by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt.
St. Louis County released a statement about the removal of the mask order:
"Regardless of today’s action rescinding the public health masking order, DPH’s strong recommendation for residents to wear masks in public indoor spaces remains unchanged. Numerous studies have shown the effectiveness of masks in reducing transmission of COVID-19. As new COVID cases continue to increase sharply and the Omicron variant of the virus poses an additional threat in the middle of the regular Influenza season, residents should heed the advice of public health: get vaccinated, maintain a safe social distance wherever possible, wash your hands with soap and water frequently and thoroughly and continue to wear masks in all indoor public spaces. DPH continues to urge all unvaccinated residents to get vaccinated against Covid-19 and Influenza. Also, anyone who qualifies for a Covid-19 booster shot should get one immediately. To find a convenient place and time to get your free vaccinations and booster shots, visit ReviveSTL.com."
Here's the letter:
Also in the letter, Khan stated, "Masks save lives." And he "strongly recommends" everyone continues to wear face masks in public indoor spaces
Under the mandate, anyone at least 5-years-old was required to wear a face mask while inside public spaces and while on public transportation.
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Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ruled last month that public health orders – like the St. Louis County mask mandate – violate the Missouri Constitution’s separation of powers clause affecting the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. Schmitt stated he was aware of the ruling and is "prepared to enforce compliance" across the state.
Last week, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page blasted Green's order and says his public face mask order still stands.
“The latest challenge came last week when an elected Republican judge. A politician that must run for reelection in a rural Trump-loving county entered a ruling about masks in a friendly-fire lawsuit between radical anti-maskers and the attorney general," Page said. "Even though St. Louis County was never a party in the case, or even asked to provide its position, the judge declared all of our public health orders invalid. How a judge can do that will be for the lawyers and the bar to figure out. But we know it is a dangerous ruling. We know it undermines our strong COVID policies and we are starting to understand how it may impact our other health policies."
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