Under normal conditions, it can take as much as 18 to 22 days for someone to receive their first benefit payment, said Dolores Rose, spokesperson for the Department of Labor, in an email.

The Missouri AFL-CIO released a statement Wednesday saying it was pleased with the decision to remove the waiting week, but that more action is needed.

It asked Parson to waive the requirement that workers be healthy to receive assistance. It also called on the state to extend how long workers can receive benefits and to work with the federal government to make sure self-employed and freelance workers are covered.

Parson also said Wednesday that he won’t be classifying grocery workers as first responders.

“Not to take anything away from from somebody in a grocery store, in a convenience store, or farmers across the state, but the reality is those first responders are classified like that for a reason,” he said. “They have to answer the calls.”