Jackson County will require masks in public, following similar orders in KC metro
Jackson County Health Director Bridgette Shaffer told legislators at their Monday morning meeting that the county will require people to wear face masks in public.
The mandate will go into effect Wednesday, Shaffer said. No other details on the mask requirement were given at the meeting Monday, but the county is preparing an official order and guidelines.
The announcement came days after Wyandotte County and Kansas City announced that face coverings would be mandated in public places.
At a news conference Friday outside City Hall, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announced that the city would require all residents and visitors to wear masks in public, starting Monday.
Lucas’ order says “all employees or visitors to any place of public accommodation must wear face coverings in an area or while performing an activity which will necessarily involve close contact or proximity to co-workers or the public where six feet of separation is not feasible.”
A day later, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, announced a mask ordinance would go into effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
On Sunday, health officials in the Kansas City metro reported 246 additional confirmed cases of the coronavirus, the largest single-day increase since the outbreak started.
Under the Unified Government’s order, the use of masks will be required in all public indoor spaces including workplaces, businesses and places of worship. Masks also will be required in public outdoor spaces and public transportation with the exception of socially distanced exercise and when eating and drinking.
Exceptions also include people who are deaf or hard of hearing, children younger than 5 years old and people with medical conditions that prevent the use of a face covering. Law enforcement will be asked to assist with enforcement of the order.
The move is an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 as the area sees its highest number of daily case increases since the first cases of the virus were detected in March.
Under Kansas City’s mask requirement, those exempt include:
▪ Minors, with strong guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Kansas City Health Department that children over age 2 wear face coverings.
▪ People with disabilities that prevent them from comfortably wearing or taking off face coverings or communicating while wearing face coverings.
▪ People with respiratory conditions or breathing trouble.
▪ People who have been told by a medical, legal, or behavioral health professional not to wear face coverings.
▪ People seated in a restaurant or tavern who are consuming food or drink while adequately distanced from other patrons.
This story was originally published June 29, 2020 at 11:31 AM.
