Fred Echols

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones named Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, a national expert in infectious diseases, as the city’s health director. The coronavirus pandemic is the most immediate problem facing the city, Hlatshwayo Davis said, but she intends to focus on the city’s high rates of gun violence and sexually transmitted diseases.

A St. Louis resident who attended the St. Louis County Council’s meeting on a mask mandate has tested positive for the coronavirus. Health officials urge anyone who went to the meeting — even those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine — to isolate themselves and get tested.

The St. Louis Health Department and Missouri National Guard turned away more than 450 people from a COVID-19 vaccination event Thursday and Friday due to invalid email confirmations.

Local health departments and hospitals are relying heavily on online forms to pre-register people for the COVID-19 vaccine, but that leaves out some elderly who need to sign up by phone.

A new coronavirus variant first identified in the United Kingdom last year has been found in 20 states, including Illinois. Because it’s only a matter of time until it comes to Missouri, people in the region must continue to be vigilant, said Dr. Fred Echols, St. Louis Department of Health acting director.

Contact tracers track down and tell potentially infectious people to isolate themselves to keep others from getting sick with the coronavirus. But the effort takes more than a phone and a list of names to be successful.

The City of St. Louis has restricted playground access for months, even while bars and restaurants have reopened. The city's Department of Health director, Dr. Fredrick Echols, discussed what has driven the city’s playground policy.

Officials in St. Louis and St. Louis County eased coronavirus-related rules limiting youth sports Wednesday, allowing young athletes to resume practices and some to return to competitive play.

St. Louis Circuit Judge Rex Burlison has put evictions on hold until Sept. 1. The judge's order comes after health officials warned that putting people out of their homes during the coronavirus pandemic could cause a public health crisis.

St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson has announced a plan to distribute $64 million in federal aid intended to bolster the city’s response to the coronavirus. The…