Clay County health department issues new COVID-19 limits on gatherings, restaurants
The day after new COVID-19 restrictions were announced in Kansas City, the Clay County health department said it will ban gatherings of more than 10 people and close restaurants by 10 p.m.
The order came the day after Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announced new restrictions. Jackson County in Missouri and Wyandotte County in Kansas also adopted similar restrictions. Last week, Johnson County implemented looser restrictions.
As of Tuesday night, Platte County had not yet issued new restrictions.
Hospitals across the metro are facing a surge of COVID-19 cases. The University of Kansas Health System reported a record number of patients being treated for COVID-19.
Last week, the system’s chief medical officer, Steve Stites, said there is “uncontrolled spread in the community.”
On Tuesday, the metro area added more than 1,100 new cases of the coronavirus for a total of 68,799. And across the metro, 904 people have died of COVID-19.
Restaurants and other venues serving food and drinks inside will be limited to 50% of the building occupancy and will have to close at 10 p.m.
Gyms and recreational centers will be limited to half capacity as well.
The order also encourages businesses to let employees work remotely as much as possible.
Gatherings will be limited to 10 people who are not in the same household, unless the health department approves. That restriction applies to public and private gatherings, including life milestone events, concerts and sporting events with fans.
Gatherings of more than 10 people can be allowed if a plan to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 is submitted to and approved by the health department.
Anyone “performing essential government functions” is exempt from the order, though they should also comply with physical distancing requirements as much as possible, the order states.
The county’s mask order is still in place, requiring anyone in a place of public accommodation to wear a face covering when maintaining distance isn’t possible.
Exceptions to the mask requirement include children under 5, those whose health is substantially impaired by masks, people actively eating or drinking, or those getting a service involving their face or nose.
The order goes into effect on Monday.
This story was originally published November 17, 2020 at 10:09 PM.
