Missouri budget chief blames huge revenue drop on virus
O'FALLON, Mo. (AP) — As Missouri lawmakers prepare to consider emergency funding in response to the coronavirus crisis, the state's budget director on Monday offered more evidence of the pandemic's toll on the economy.
Budget Director Dan Haug said net general revenue collections for March dropped 4.2% compared to March 2019. Even though there was no statewide stay-at-home order until Monday, several jurisdictions had already issued their own orders and restrictions were placed on gathering sizes.
Lawmakers are scheduled to convene Tuesday and Wednesday. Republican Gov. Mike Parson needs their approval to spend what could amount to billions of dollars in federal funding for medical supplies, local governments, schools and other services to fight the virus.
Senate Republican leaders urged those interested in the proceedings to watch or listen online, rather than in person, to maintain social distancing.
Missouri's health department cited 355 new confirmed cases Monday, bringing the state's total to 2,722. St. Louis County alone has now topped 1,000 confirmed cases.
The state updated the number of deaths to 39, five more than on Sunday. However, a database operated by Johns Hopkins University shows 47 deaths in Missouri. The discrepancy could be because Missouri had not required that coronavirus deaths be reported within 24 hours until it changed that policy as of Sunday.
Dr. Alex Garza, head of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force, said Monday that 545 patients have been hospitalized in the St. Louis area, including 224 in intensive care units, with 172 on ventilators. The patients have either tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, or are showing symptoms and awaiting test results.
Garza said the number of hospitalized...