Springfield Mayor Ken McClure has sent a letter to Governor Parson urging him to mandate people wear face masks statewide.
McClure says while many cities in the region have ordinances in place, many rural areas do not.
He says social and economic interaction makes it impossible to slow the spread of the virus without a state mandate.
About 70-percent of the COVID-19 patients being treated in Springfield hospitals come from areas outside Greene County.
In July, Springfield City Council discussed passing a resolution asking the governor to issue a mask mandate.
But no action was taken.
When a reporter asked Governor Parson if he would consider a state mandate if Springfield City Council passed such a resolution, Parson said he would not.
Parson said he was not anti-mask, he was just anti-mandate.
