Kansas City is one step closer to returning back to “normal.”
As Covid-19 vaccinations are becoming more widely available and virus cases are decreasing, Mayor Quinton Lucas has announced that adjustments will be made to previous Kansas City mandates.
Today at 1:15 pm, Mayor Lucas held a news conference to address updates to his emergency order.
The biggest news, as of this Friday: “The new order also allows all business facilities – including restaurants and taverns – to operate at full capacity, provided mask guidelines are followed.”
“We’re proud of the fact that our vaccination efforts in Kansas City continue to have strong energy,” Lucas said at the news conference.
LIVE NOW: Mayor Quinton Lucas announcing updated COVID-19 health guidelines.
Posted by Mayor Quinton Lucas on Monday, April 26, 2021
Mayor Lucas stated that 33 percent of the Kansas City population has begun their vaccination process.
“A third of our population was very excited and eager to get the vaccine,” he said. “Unfortunately, there is a third that has a greater level of hesitancy, and there still is that middle third that we need to lower the barriers of entry for the vaccination process.”
Locations for the vaccine have expanded in the Kansas City area, as they are being offered at more buildings, and businesses to accommodate more Kansas Citians in terms of proximity to a vaccine location.
The mayor announced two important updates at the news conference. He announced that the Emergency Proclamation has been extended to August 31.
“This is primarily to continue to work with emergency management operations,” Lucas says.
He also announced that a new amended order will be in effect this Friday, April 30, going through May.
The guidelines are:
- Masks will continue to be worn indoors for places of public accommodation for ages five and older.
- If all individuals in the room are vaccinated and have knowledge that all individuals in the room are vaccinated then the mask mandate is not required, like inside office buildings.
- All capacities and social distancing requirements for businesses and gatherings have been rescinded. If a person remains six feet within others and there is no knowledge of vaccination, then masks are required.
“I hope that this is our last order. Emergency orders aren’t the sorts of things that are supposed to be around forever, ”Lucas said. “I hope that after May 28, we have the chance to live in a Kansas City without orders, where more people are vaccinated and where things are as close to back to normal as possible.”
