Clay County the latest in Kansas City metro to relax COVID restaurant and bar curfew
Bars and restaurants in North Kansas City, Liberty, Gladstone and other Clay County communities will be allowed to stay open until midnight under new emergency rules from the county health department.
Clay County announced the change Wednesday evening, putting it in line with rules Mayor Quinton Lucas announced for Kansas City that afternoon.
Since November, bars and restaurants in those jurisdictions, as well as in Jackson, Platte and Wyandotte counties, have been required to close by 10 p.m. to prevent large late-night crowds spreading the coronavirus, especially during the holiday season. All but Platte County relaxed those guidelines over the last couple of days.
Clay County’s new emergency order, which went into effect Thursday, continues until further notice.
Restaurants and bars in Clay County, Kansas City and most other counties are still limited to serving just 50% of their normal occupancy, and gatherings of more than 10 people indoors are not allowed.
Since November, Johnson County was the outlier in allowing bars and restaurants to stay open until midnight, with no extra limits on capacity and indoor gatherings limited to 50 people.
Jackson and Wyandotte counties announced this week they would allow bars and restaurants to serve patrons until midnight but have given them until 12:30 a.m. to close.
Platte County had not announced any new guidance as of Thursday morning. It, too, has required bars to close by 10 p.m. since November.
The eased restrictions come as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. The Kansas City metropolitan area added more than 700 new and 11 deaths on Wednesday.
This story was originally published January 14, 2021 at 11:00 AM.
