Kansas City mayor issues stringent COVID-19 rules to any business reopening in May
Kansas City is still on track to relax its stay-at-home order on May 15 — but the city will be far from business as usual.
All businesses, including those previously shuttered because they were “nonessential,” will be allowed to resume operations that day — but under a set of stringent rules to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, officials announced Wednesday.
In addition, many will be allowed to open as early as May 6, a move that apparently took Jackson County — the only other jurisdiction with a stay-at-home order as long as Kansas City’s — by surprise. Large events are still banned, and health officials still want people to stay home.
“It is still not safe to go out,” said Rex Archer, director of the Kansas City Health Department, “particularly if you are over 60 or you have any pre-existing conditions in regards to heart, lung, immune problems.”
Archer and Mayor Quinton Lucas laid out their plans at a press conference at City Hall on Wednesday, a day that brought a flurry of discussions and announcements from surrounding counties on when to end stay-at-home orders.
Lucas said the city had seen new COVID-19 infections fall for four weeks, which he said was a direct result of the stay-at-home order.
“It isn’t because of some randomness; it isn’t because we’re special,” he said. “It isn’t because of anything other than the fact that all of the important steps that we have taken over the last six weeks have led to fewer infections, have led to fewer hospitalizations and have saved lives.”
Kansas City’s new COVID-19 rules
Lucas and Archer explained the city’s new restrictions: Starting May 6, Kansas City will see a “soft reopening.” Nonessential businesses that don’t draw the general public, such as an advertising agency or law firm, will be allowed to reopen, so long as they abide by social distancing rules.
Smaller businesses that serve the general public and were previously deemed “nonessential,” such as some retailers, can also open.
But they will have to follow the city’s new rules, dubbed “10-10-10,” for the foreseeable future: They must operate at 10% of their normal capacity or have 10 people in the establishment, whatever is greater. That includes the employees needed to run the business.
Businesses or gathering places with more traffic, such as restaurants, libraries, community centers and gyms, will stick to the May 15 opening date but must also follow the new rules.
Customers who are in a business for more than 10 minutes will have to register their name and contact information so that if a business is found to be at the center of an outbreak, health officials can trace those who may have been exposed.
Lucas said the city is not trying to be “Big Brother.” Archer said collecting that information will allow the city to trace outbreaks, find residents who may have been exposed and isolate them to keep the virus from spreading out of control and sparking another shutdown. The coronavirus, Archer said, is not gone.
“It’s still going to be present in every state, so as we ease these restrictions, if we don’t have the capacity to quickly put out that outbreak, that fire, then we’ll be back to very Draconian measures,” Archer said.
Workers in businesses that may not be able to practice social distancing, such as salons and barber shops, will be required to provide masks and gloves for both workers and customers.
Lucas said the city is still drafting more detailed rules for restaurants, bars, gyms and museums to reopen May 15. He encouraged restaurants and bars to start acquiring gloves and masks.
Dog parks, playgrounds, government buildings, community centers and the Kansas City Zoo will also remain closed to the public until May 15, Lucas said. A complete list of businesses subject to the May 15 date wasn’t available Wednesday.
In a statement, Jackson County Executive Frank White’s office said the county wasn’t aware until Lucas’ press conference that the city planned to allow many businesses to open early.
The county will make decisions “based on data, science and the recommendations of public health officials,” the statement said. “That philosophy has not changed.”
“County staff are currently reviewing the information released by the Mayor’s Office and plan to speak with public health officials with the City of Kansas City to try and understand what led to the Mayor’s decision to relax his stay-at-home order prior to May 15,” the statement said. “Until we have had the opportunity to fully review that information, the County will have no further comment at this time.”
Under the city’s new regulations, indoor gatherings are still limited to 10 people or fewer, including weddings, funerals and religious observances. As many as 50 people can gather outside.
It’s not clear how long the new rules may remain in effect, but Lucas said he was also extending the city’s emergency declaration into the summer so that the city can continue restricting large gatherings.
Lucas said he would like to see larger events — with crowds around 100 — return to the city this summer and perhaps by this fall, small conferences.
But any further relaxation of city orders will depend on a continued decline in new cases, adequate hospital space, more testing capacity and the ability to do contact tracing.
Archer said the city should be running about 750 tests per day, but is only testing fewer than 100 people per day.
“Unless we do a lot more testing, we can’t stop those outbreaks,” he said.
Different rules outside Kansas City
As of Wednesday afternoon, Kansas City and Jackson County were the only jurisdictions with stay-at-home orders running until May 15.
▪ Johnson County officials on Wednesday discussed extending their stay-at-home orders another week, through May 10. Then businesses would reopen in phases, starting with hair salons, gyms, shops and restaurants — with social distancing restrictions. Officials were expected to vote later this week.
▪ Clay County, which last week said it would shorten its stay-at home order to May 4, on Wednesday announced more specific reopening plans. The county will allow gatherings of up to 25 people. Businesses smaller than 10,000 square feet must operate at no more than 25% normal capacity. For larger businesses, that limit is 10%.
Salons, spas and other personal care businesses must require employees to wear masks and wash their hands frequently. Customers must make appointments and remain in their car until their turn. Chairs must be six feet apart. Gym staffs will be required to wear masks, perform daily enhanced cleanings, maintain social distancing and adjust the workout areas to keep customers six feet apart.
▪ Platte County announced it would shorten its order and allow businesses to reopen on May 4. Businesses are expected to create a plan “outlining steps that will be taken to protect employees and customers,” a county news release said. “Each business is also expected to display those mitigation measures on or near the entrance doors. Customers, based on what they see posted, can then make informed decisions about which businesses they wish to patronize.”
▪ The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, planned to end its stay-at-home order May 3, in line with Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s plan. But Mike Taylor, public relations director, said officials are in talks about extending it through May 15, as recommended by their health officers. “As of today, it’s still May 3, but that could very well be extended,” Taylor said.
▪ Cass County last week announced its order would end May 3 as well.
Areas of Kansas City that lie in Clay, Cass and Platte counties are still subject to the city’s later date.
Lucas, who has lamented surrounding communities’ decisions to roll back orders earlier than Kansas City, said he has repeatedly stressed to leaders in other cities the importance of working as a metro.
“There are lots of things where it would be important for us to coordinate,” he said. “For whatever reason, some people don’t always elect to do so.”
Lucas said he was not willing to bend to pressures to reopen earlier and risk outbreaks, particularly among vulnerable populations.
“The ease with which the conversation changed on when we reopen and how we reopen directly relates to the fact that people aren’t looking at the disproportionate impact on black and brown people in Kansas City and the disproportionate impact on black and brown people throughout our region,” Lucas said.
Includes reporting by The Star’s Mike Hendricks, Anna Spoerre and Sarah Ritter.
This story was originally published April 29, 2020 at 2:11 PM.
