Stripped of power, Missouri health depts abandon COVID health measures

[DBoon]

As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rise sharply in Missouri, local health departments are abandoning efforts to stop the spread of the pandemic disease, saying their hands have been tied by the state's attorney general and a recent court ruling.
...
Overall, Missouri is currently seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases. The state is averaging over 2,700 new COVID-19 cases per day, a 68 percent increase over the past two weeks. Daily hospitalizations are averaging over 1,700, a 45 percent increase over the past two weeks. Approximately 52 percent of the state is fully vaccinated, well below national coverage, and around a dozen of the state's 114 counties have vaccination percentages in the 20s.
...
Still, health officials in Laclede and elsewhere are pulling back rather than ramping up health prevention measures, citing a December 7 letter from state Attorney General Eric Schmitt. The letter informed them of a recent court ruling that stripped state health agencies of a variety of disease-prevention powers, particularly regarding issuing isolation and quarantine orders. "You should stop enforcing and publicizing any such orders immediately," the letter read.

The ruling comes from Judge Daniel Green of the Cole County Circuit Court, who entered a judgment on November 22 in the case of Shannon Robinson, et. al., v. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). Robinson and her co-plaintiffs challenged health agencies' powers to issue restrictions to prevent the spread of disease, such as ordering quarantines. Attorney General Schmitt defended DHSS in the case and has refused to appeal its outcome

Green ruled, essentially, that it was unconstitutional for the state to delegate disease prevention powers to unelected health officials.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/12/missouri-tells-health-depts-to-stop-enforcing-and-publicizing-covid-measures/

[CrispyQ]

1. So they're gonna leave disease prevention up to the politicians.

JFC

[Irish_Dem]

5. Yes, everything is to be politicized and weaponized.

Public health, healthcare, education, law enforcement, military, elections and voting systems, etc.
The list goes on an on.

[CrispyQ]

8. As extreme as the GOP has gotten,

I never would have imagined they would deliberately mislead their voters about a contagious, deadly disease. It's depraved. They're killing their own voters.

[Irish_Dem]

9. Yes deliberately letting almost a million Americans die told us the situation we are in.

I believe there are several things going on:

1. The GOP are sadistic killers. I believe they love having the power to make people miserable, to kill them and make them suffer. Trump is especially guilty of this.

2. The GOP is at war with their own country, they will stop at nothing for power and wealth. The Americans they kill or harm are just collateral damage. The GOP is willing to wreck American institutions, education, public health, etc for the sake of power as well.

It is a scorched earth policy.

[CrispyQ]

11. I agree with your assessment completely.

And a massive die-off of humanity might suit their needs with the coming climate crisis. The only problem that I see, is that they lack the imagination to visualize just how much change our environment is going to go through. I live near Denver & already the change in summertime from when I was a kid, is striking. It's much warmer & drier. In another 30 years, it will be as hot as Phoenix. And then imagine what Phoenix will be like. In 30 years, Montana might be comparable to what Denver is today. I don't see how we don't have massive migration within our own country. We've toyed around with the idea of relocating north.

[Irish_Dem]

13. Massive die-off means less mouths to feed. The wealthy full well know the results of climate change.

Their plan is to get to safe places on or off planet. Why do you think the wealthy are investing in space travel?
And they will make the populace pay for climate change damage.

The wealthy will not spend one dime on climate change prevention or damage.

[CrispyQ]

14. Right on time...

Corporate climate migration has begun: https://democraticunderground.com/10181595377

[Irish_Dem]

15. Yep, they have been planing this for some time. And why they won't pay for climate change prevention

They think they will be safe from it.

[leftyladyfrommo]

2. KCMO nobody here seems to pay much attention to

all this anyway.

[Irish_Dem]

3. A GOP goal is to dismantle public health and other institutions?

[enough]

12. Yes. NT

[IA8IT]

4. Attorney General Eric Schmitt: "Elect me senator and y'all can die happy with your freedoms."

I give up.

[Scrivener7]

6. So happy I live where I live.

[Irish_Dem]

7. This is like Russia and China. All public institutions under strict state control.

[bullwinkle428]

10. Sane, intelligent people are quickly realizing there are now "NO-GO ZONES"

within the United States.

[struggle4progress]

16. "Missouri: the Kill-Me State"

[ProfessorGAC]

17. If They're Stripped of Power...

...there's nothing they can do anyway. I understand their situation.
Of course, they can still issue recommendations but if nobody has to listen to them, what's the point?

[DBoon]

18. that's called a "designated scapegoat"

one of the most miserable jobs out there.