Governor Mike Parson made two stops in Warrenton last Thursday during visits to Compass Health Network clinics here and in Wentzville.

Gov. Parson and First Lady Teresa Parson toured the Compass clinic in Warrenton to see how local health services are being provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with providing community health services, Compass is one of the main COVID testing sites for Warren County residents.

Parson said he wants to make sure community clinics are coping with the virus, and that people are receiving the health services they need.

“One of the things here today that I think was really interesting is how they’ve adapted to telemedicine and telehealth,” Parson said. He and the first lady had a conversation with a member of Compass’s therapy staff through the clinic’s telehealth system.

Parson explained that he hoped to learn more about what medical care and COVID response might look like in the near future.

“You can see that they’re well prepared for that here, and I think the community’s very fortunate to have this facility here,” the governor commented.

Statewide, Parson said despite a rising number of COVID cases, Missouri’s fatality rate has dropped to less than 1 percent.

“The hospitals are not overwhelmed by this, we’ve got medicine out there, we’re able to treat people,” Parson said. He added that the state is keeping an eye on increasing case numbers among young adults.

Staff at Compass Health said they were glad for the opportunity to show the governor how their services have adapted to the pandemic.

“We were thrilled to host the governor and first lady. We appreciate their interest in our services and understanding of the difficult times that we are all living through,” said Katrina McDonald Fuller with Compass. “Our ability to provide services through virtual platforms has allowed us to continue service delivery and is making a difference in our communities.”

After the clinic visit, Parson made a short stop at the Warren County Administration Building. There, he told county officials that he wants keep schools and businesses open while managing the COVID outbreak.

“We’ve just got to keep the faith and keep moving forward. The economy’s got to keep going, schools have got to keep going, and we’ve got to deal with the virus. We’re well capable of doing all of the above,” Parson said.

Presiding County Commissioner Joe Gildehaus said he was excited the governor was able to stop at the county building and meet with local elected officials.

“It was very nice of him, especially because (Thursday) was his birthday,” Gildehaus commented. “He asked how our county is doing, he asked about COVID. ... I said our health department is working extremely hard, and overall our county is trying to do the right thing. And he agrees with that — he definitely thinks schools need to get back in session and people need to get back to work.”