Missouri health officials: Local officials lead virus fight

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Three of Missouri's top health officials said Friday that trusted local leaders and community representatives must be the primary influencers in the state's efforts to reduce a surge in COVID-19 cases.

During a virtual news conference, Robert Knodell, acting director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said the state continues to have a strong relationship with federal health experts but they all believe local health department workers and community representatives are the best avenue for persuading residents to be vaccinated.

Knodell said federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials agree that people from out of state cannot “parachute” into the state to persuade residents to get vaccinated.

“We're on the same page as it relates to that,” Knodell said. “So we've had various conversations about who effective local messengers are in rural communities as well as in our inner cities ... The federal government is more than willing to engage with us in those conversations with trusted local messengers and provide us with messaging materials and efforts that have been successful elsewhere."

The comments came after Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said this week that he does not support a suggestion from President Joe Biden's administration that government employees go door-to-door to urge people to get vaccinated.

Jeffrey Zeints, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, responded that the program would rely on local doctors, faith leaders and others, and suggesting otherwise was “misinformation.”

State epidemiologist Dr. George Turabelidze said federal officials have not yet provided the state with details on how federal “surge response” teams might work. But he warned the delta variant is...