JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Governor Mike Parson announced that Missouri will start administering vaccines to Phase 1B, Tier 3 starting March 15.
The new tier will include K-12 teachers, child care providers, grocery store workers, and other critical infrastructure employees.
Some school districts have continued virtual learning, thousands of teachers are back in classrooms face-to-face with students. The state education department reports that around 95 percent of Missouri’s school buildings are open to students in some form. Last week, Missouri teachers sent letters to State Health Director Dr. Randall Williams requesting to be bumped up on the list to make educators a priority.
Others who would be in the next phase include child care providers, government employees, food and agriculture workers and several other sectors called “critical infrastructure.”
Parson said some of the most difficult decisions to cross his desk have been trying to determine who should be deemed essential, whether to keep schools open and how to handle gatherings.
