Sam Page

County Executive Sam Page, Councilwoman Shalonda Webb and Councilman Ernie Trakas participated in the official inauguration festivities. Councilwoman Kelli Dunaway held a private ceremony.

The past year's events redefined Missouri and St. Louis politics. And the COVID-19 pandemic and protests decrying police killing Black people played a huge role in shaping the biggest stories in the region and state.

With new cases of COVID-19 in the St. Louis area moderately declining in recent weeks, St. Louis County officials have opted to ease restrictions on restaurants and bars.

The reports, released Monday, call for significant action by both departments.

Webb defeated Councilwoman Rochelle Walton Gray in the August primary for the 4th District, which takes in places like Spanish Lake, Florissant and Bellefontaine Neighbors.

Some Missouri lawmakers want to curtail local governments' ability to enact COVID-19 restrictions. This comes amid some GOP outcry over St. Louis County Executive Sam Page's indoor dining curbs.

St. Louis County is asking residents who test positive for the coronavirus to call people they may have come into contact with. Public health employees have become overwhelmed by new cases, County Executive Sam Page said Monday.

On the same day that the region eclipsed 2,000 deaths since March, St. Louis County leveled new restrictions on gatherings, businesses and indoor dining.

Since March, COVID-19 has claimed more than 2,000 lives in the St. Louis metro. Health officials says that number looks poised to continue climbing.

The St. Louis region could see renewed government restrictions to stop the spread of the coronavirus if the number of new cases doesn’t go down within a week, St. Louis and St. Louis County leaders said Monday.