Gatherings of 50 or more banned in St. Louis area, including southwestern Illinois

Five St. Louis regional leaders announced Sunday that the city, county and two counties in the metro-east will ban social gatherings and events of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks.

In a news release, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page, St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann, St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern and Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler said they met with 15 health care professionals and “other key regional stakeholders” to take proactive measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19.

The ban on social gatherings and events is effective immediately and prohibited across all five jurisdictions, the release stated.

“This decision will be reevaluated constantly in communication with the region’s top health care professionals,” the release stated.

Among the other measures the leaders have decided to take on are closing all public, private, charter and parochial schools across the region beginning Wednesday, March 18, to be reevaluated by April 3. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker made the call to close all schools in the state earlier this week.

In Missouri, decisions regarding the closure of restaurants, bars and nightclubs “remain under consideration and are expected to be made soon,” the release stated.

Pritzker announced Sunday that he had ordered the closing of all bars and restaurants in Illinois effective Monday night at the close of business until March 30.

“The COVID-19 outbreak remains a rapidly evolving situation, and available information is fluid,” the release stated. “In the meantime, it is vitally important that members of the general public continue to practice recommended preventative measures, such as social distancing and robust personal hygiene, as recommended by the CDC.”

This story was originally published March 15, 2020 at 6:31 PM.

Hana Muslic

Belleville News-Democrat

618-239-2626

Hana Muslic has been a public safety reporter for the Belleville News-Democrat since August 2018, covering everything from crime and courts to accidents, fires and natural disasters. She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Journalism and her previous work can be found in The Lincoln Journal-Star and The Kansas City Star.