Gatherings of 50 or more people banned in 5 jurisdictions in the bi-state area

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - Readers in the bi-state area are taking extra measures to prevent further spread of COVID-19 in the area.

St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, St. Clair County, Ill. and Madison County, Ill. are prohibiting events and social gatherings of more than 50 people for eight weeks.

The decision comes after St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, St. Louis County Executive Dr. Sam Page, St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann, St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern, and Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler met on Sunday with 15 health care professionals. The decision was made in an effort to minimize the spread of coronavirus in the bi-state area.

“You cannot measure what doesn’t happen and what we are trying to do is stop the spread of COVID-19. We have to rely on the CDC and medical professionals who have been through this before, with other viruses,” St. Louis City Mayor Lyda Krewson said. “It is a very serious thing and the best thing we can do is stop the spread.”

The announcement comes after the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a statement saying they recommend that all events consisting of 50 or more people be canceled or postponed for the next eight weeks.

According to the CDC, the recommendation does not apply to daycares, businesses or day-to-day operations. It does, however, apply to conferences, festivals, parades, concerts, sporting events, weddings, and other types of assemblies.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson released a statement Sunday saying he recommends “the cancellation or suspension of public gatherings of 50 individuals or more with the exception of educational institutions, daycare facilities, and business operations.”

“We ask that facilities that attract large concentrations of senior citizens to strongly consider restrictions and closures, in consultation with health authorities, to protect those most vulnerable to this virus,” Parson said. “We encourage schools to follow CDC guidelines and consult with local health care providers and public health authorities as decisions are made on whether to keep school in session.”

Unlike Parson, Illinois Gov. Pritzker announced all dine-in will be prohibited at Illinois restaurants and bars starting at the end of business day Monday through the end of March.

The announcement from local leaders also came with a recommendation to close all private, public and parochial schools by Wednesday, March 18 until further notice in the five counties. Read more here.

St. Louis County declared a state of emergency on Friday and had announced a ban on gatherings of 250 people.

St. Louis City officials announced a ban on gatherings of 1,000 people on Thursday.

As of 7 p.m. Sunday, there are five confirmed COVID-19 cases in the bi-state area. Two confirmed cases were reported in St. Louis County, two other cases were reported in St. Clair County and one case in Clinton County,

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