Today’s update discusses:

• state park campgrounds opening
• some St. Louis public libraries set to reopen
• lawsuit filed in Boone County

SOCIAL LIFE

• Missouri state parks that had previously opened for limited activities will open their campgrounds next week. Existing reservations will be honored, and the parks will accept new reservations for dates after May 26. Only those with reservations may camp, and there will be limits on the numbers of campers in the facilities, as well as social distancing requirements.  The parks also will implement a contactless check-in system.
• A select few St. Louis Public Libraries have announced a plan to reopen starting June 10. In order to adhere to social distancing guidelines, the libraries will be limiting hours, requiring masks, and providing sanitation stations to visitors. In addition, the libraries will take extra measures to prevent the spread of the virus by quarantining returned books for 72 hours, allowing for curbside pickup, and making off-limits some areas within the buildings such as seating areas, computer areas, and restrooms.

 JUDICIAL RULINGS

• A business owner in Columbia filed suit this week against the county health department director, Stephanie Browning, alleging that she lacks the authority to establish stricter guidelines than the state. The lawsuit sought a hold on all local regulations meant to slow the spread of the virus. Boone County Judge Brouck Jacobs held a virtual hearing today, ultimately denying the request, stating, “My thought is as a judge I don’t have the power. . . to decide what the best way to combat this virus is. Under the law, that is left to director Browning here at the local level.” In the end, Judge Jacobs did not believe that the business owner had met the burden to obtain a temporary restraining order.