Mask Mandates

Three years into the COVID pandemic, some St. Louis-area hospitals have decided to drop mask requirements, citing decreased infection levels.

St. Louis County’s Department of Public Health director is stepping down from his post in early September. The county will search for a new leader before his departure.

St. Louis is seeing rising numbers of coronavirus cases, and the city’s health director is again considering recommending public health measures, including mask requirements, to protect people from the virus.

The districts facing new litigation have all been previously sued by Schmitt and include the Special School District of St. Louis County, Maplewood Richmond Heights, Clayton, Ladue, Webster Groves and Mehlville.

Eric Schmitt has refused to drop three of his 47 lawsuits against school districts, while the Lee’s Summit district filed a counterclaim against the attorney general.

Despite the politicized rhetoric around masking in schools, federal judges have ruled that schools can be required by law to protect medically vulnerable children.

The St. Louis mandate that requires people to wear masks in public indoor spaces is scheduled to expire late Sunday, but local officials still recommend masking in crowded areas.

St. Louis Public Schools will no longer require students and workers to wear masks beginning Monday.

Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, St. Louis' health director, on Monday told the Board of Aldermen’s Health and Human Services Committee that city officials could drop mask requirements, given new CDC guidance. But Hlatshwayo Davis said she would continue to recommend that people wear a mask indoors.

The percentage of St. Louis County residents testing positive for the coronavirus and hospital admissions are decreasing, County Executive Sam Page said. That indicates that for now at least, a widespread public mandate is no longer needed, he said.