Clay County lifts more COVID-19 restrictions. Here’s what you need to know.
Clay County officials on Sunday evening lifted most coronavirus-related restrictions previously put in place for restaurants and bars.
According to the updated health order, which went into effect at 5 p.m. Sunday, there is no longer a restriction on capacity, closing time or party size at Clay County restaurants and bars, which were previously made to close at midnight, with capacity capped at 50%.
However, social distancing requirements remain in place. Parties must be seated at least 6 feet from one another, and patrons can only remove their masks when eating or drinking as long as they remain seated and distanced from other groups and individuals not in their party, according to the county.
Sunday’s updated order cited recent decreases in new reported coronavirus cases across the metro.
The seven-day rolling average of new coronavirus infections in the Kansas City region continued on a downward trend Sunday, with another 125 cases and no additional deaths reported.
As of Sunday, 7,816 coronavirus cases and 143 deaths have been reported in Clay County since the start of the pandemic, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Clay County’s announcement came on the heels of Kansas City’s decision to roll back most of its restrictions for bars, restaurants and indoor gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Last week, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announced that the city would lift more of its coronavirus restrictions through an updated emergency order that went into place at 10 p.m. Friday and will remain through May 1.
Kansas City restaurants must still space parties 6 feet apart — measured from back of chair to back of chair. But they can serve as close to their normal capacities as that distancing allows. They’re allowed to stay open for their normal hours. Events such as weddings and conferences aren’t limited aside from the building capacities where they take place.
But Lucas said the city would still be strict about enforcing its social distancing and mask rules. People must wear masks at bars, restaurants and events unless they are actively eating or drinking. Lucas said the city’s strict enforcement set it apart from other area jurisdictions.
To date, more than 137,500 people have been infected and 1,946 have died across the metro area which encompasses Kansas City and Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri, and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas.
The Star’s Allison Kite contributed.
