56 Missouri Veterans Die at State Veterans Homes Since September 1, Gov. Mike Parson Calls Them The “Standard Nationwide”

Thirteen Veterans Died at the Mt. Vernon Veterans Home, Which Parson Visited One Day Before It First Reported a Positive Case 

Today, the St. Louis Post Dispatch is reporting 56 veterans died of COVID-19 in Missouri veterans homes between September 1st and October 12th. The second-deadliest outbreak occurred at the Mt. Vernon Veterans Home, which had its first case of COVID-19 just one day after a visit from Missouri Gov. Mike Parson – who called his administration’s handling of COVID-19 in its veterans homes the “standard nationwide.” 

Parson has refused to initiate a strong contact tracing program to figure out who he may have exposed to the virus while asymptomatically spreading COVID-19, so it’s unclear whether Parson’s case and the cases at the veterans home are connected. Regardless, Parson attended several public events without a mask in the days leading up to this positive test, potentially exposing many other Missourians to the deadly disease. And his refusal to notify those who may have been exposed put lives at risk.

“Mike Parson’s failure to take any decisive action on the pandemic has taken too many lives,” said DGA Deputy Communications Director Christina Amestoy. “It’s time for Mike Parson to take responsibility for his careless, negligent handling of the pandemic. Every Missourian who has had their lives upended by this disease deserves so much better than this. Parson claims ‘life goes on’ – but for these veterans, and their loved ones, life will never be the same.”