Gov. Mike Parson extended on Wednesday the mobilization of the Missouri National Guard to continue responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Parson signed an executive order extending the National Guard's mobilization through Dec. 30.
"The National Guard has played a major role in supporting state and community response efforts, including COVID-19 testing support, supply and equipment transportation, and meal distribution just to name a few," Parson said in a news release. "This executive order will allow the Guard to continue assisting the people of Missouri as we move forward."
The order aligns the Guard's mobilization with the state's current state of emergency.
The Guard was first mobilized in the crisis March 27, with mobilization later extended through Sept. 15.
In Mid-Missouri, the Guard's response efforts have included offering community testing for COVID-19 and helping to distribute food to children in school districts including Osage County R-2 in Linn.