O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) — St. Louis and St. Louis County will both begin easing stay-at-home orders starting later this month, but officials caution that the process will be slow for the area of Missouri most ravaged by the coronavirus. St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page both announced late Tuesday that public health restrictions would be reduced starting May 18. Page said Wednesday that the reopening process will be driven by metrics like hospitalizations, ventilator usage and rises or falls in confirmed cases. About two-thirds of Missouri’s confirmed COVID-19 cases, and about half the deaths, have occurred in the city and county combined.