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ST. LOUIS — Jefferson County approved a mask order on Wednesday, the third county in the region to add coronavirus restrictions in recent days, after a persistent — but so far unsuccessful — campaign by area health officials imploring Missouri Gov. Mike Parson to mandate masks statewide.

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have surged for the past month, breaking records nearly every day. Hospital leaders have publicly called on Parson to require masks for the past two weeks. He has so far refused.

But last Thursday, Franklin County, next to Jefferson, passed a mask order. Boone County, home to Columbia, passed a similar requirement on Tuesday. That same day, St. Charles County officials ordered an 11 p.m. curfew at bars and restaurants.

ӣ����Ƶ and ӣ����Ƶ County have had mask orders in place since the spring.

The issue has been a source of tension for months in Jefferson County. Residents protested outside the health department when a similar order was proposed in the summer. The health board passed a mandate in August, and then unanimously revoked it the following day after residents questioned whether they had been appropriately notified of the vote.

On Wednesday, the health board voted 3-2 in favor.

The move makes Jefferson the third area county with Republican leadership to buck Parson’s example.

Jefferson County’s order applies to people 10 years old and older, and requires them to wear a face mask when in public spaces near people from outside their household. Exceptions include being outdoors and 6 feet away from others, and eating or drinking in a restaurant, if tables are spaced 6 feet apart.

The order takes effect on Friday, and lasts until 12 p.m. on Dec. 27.

“The thing we need to remember most importantly out of this is that it isn’t about restricting individuals, it’s about saving lives,” Jefferson County Health Department Director Kelley Vollmar said in a statement.

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have surged across the Midwest in recent weeks. On Wednesday the ӣ����Ƶ Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force reported 145 new COVID-19 admissions, and a record 895 total hospitalized coronavirus patients in area BJC HealthCare, SSM Health, Mercy and St. Luke’s Hospital facilities.

Task force leader Dr. Alex Garza praised municipalities that have passed mask orders recently, but reiterated the task force’s calls for a statewide mask order and a “safer at home” policy like the one ӣ����Ƶ County Executive Sam Page ordered two weeks ago, which closed restaurant and bar interiors and told residents to stay home unless necessary.

“You’ve heard us ask the governor to do this, and for good reason,” Garza said. “There are no more options left on the table.”

Garza said he visited area hospitals on Wednesday, and saw tents set up outside to treat patients with less severe conditions and reduce stress on emergency departments. In one case, three patients needed an intensive care bed, but only one was available, he said. Some patients have been transferred out to facilities in Hannibal or Quincy because hospitals here don’t have enough space. Garza visited two SSM Health facilities on Wednesday: St. Clare Hospital near Fenton and St. Joseph Hospital Lake Saint Louis, according to a spokeswoman.

“In the near term, we believe that the Thanksgiving gatherings will become superspreader events. The only question is: How bad is it going to get?” Garza said. “It’s not too late to change your plans, to make this holiday safer, and to give those nurses and respiratory therapists a break. It’s not too late to stay home and celebrate with the people you live with.”

The seven-day average of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Missouri climbed to 2,746 on Wednesday, a new record.

The state reported 653 patients in ICUs — just shy of the record 664 reported Tuesday — plus 4,131 new cases and 26 more deaths.

Illinois added 11,378 new cases, 6,133 total hospitalized patients, a near-record, and 155 more deaths.

Annika Merrilees • 314-340-8528 @annie3mer on Twitter amerrilees@post-dispatch.com