Missouri governor slams coronavirus rules on gatherings: 'Not going to mandate who goes in the front door'

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Missouri’s Republican Gov. Mike Parson urged state residents to follow coronavirus guidelines over Thanksgiving but said the government has “no business” mandating gathering sizes. 

“The holidays are coming, and as the Governor of the State of Missouri, I am not going to mandate who goes in the front door of your home,” Parson wrote on Twitter this week. “Government has no business going through the front door of your homes to decide how many members of your family are there, how many are not.”

Still, he called on Missourians to wear a mask, social distance and host outdoor activities instead of indoor ones as much as possible. 

CORONAVIRUS IN THE US: STATE-BY-STATE BREAKDOWN 

Coronavirus cases have spiked across the nation, hitting 2 million new cases in just two weeks. 

A number of governors from California to New York have enacted 10-person limits on gatherings amid the holiday week. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown told residents to “uninvite” Thanksgiving guests to mitigate the spread. 

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo blasted sheriffs who said they wouldn’t enforce the new order over the holiday. 

Fulton County Sheriff Richard Giardino questioned the legality of Cuomo’s order and said his department’s resources were stretched already. 

“We have limited resources and we have to set priorities, so obtaining a Search Warrant to enter your home to see how many Turkey or Tofu eaters are present is not a priority,” Giardino wrote in a Facebook post. 

“I don’t believe that person is a law enforcement officer,” Cuomo said at a news briefing last week.

CUOMO BLASTS POLICE WHO WON'T ENFORCE THANKSGIVING GATHERING LIMITS 

“I don’t want a law enforcement officer who says, ‘I’m only enforcing the law that I like or think should be enforced.'” 

California rules cap gatherings at 10 and ban any nonessential gatherings after 10 p.m., and Gov. Gavin Newsom warned that gathering over the holiday is risky. 

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The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office this week issued a statement saying it would not be enforcing compliance with the health orders for private social gatherings.