COVID-19 surge prompts mask mandates in Kansas City metro. What about your area?
Masks have again become a hot topic as Kansas City area officials from public health boards, county commissions, city halls and school boards consider approaches in light of the latest surge of COVID-19.
Federal guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends masks be worn indoors in areas where the risk of transmission is substantial or high. That precaution is suggested to all regardless of vaccination status “to maximize protection from the delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others,” the CDC says.
Here’s a look where masks are required — and where they aren’t — in the Kansas City area:
County orders
Jackson County: Jackson County reinstated a mask order that took effect Aug. 6 and applies to all parts of the county except Kansas City and Independence. The order requires everyone age 5 or older to wear masks inside public places, whether or not they have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus.
Clay County: Clay County has no order requiring masks in public spaces. The Clay County Public Health Center Board of Trustees has only recommended masks be worn in school settings by children and staff, including early childhood education centers.
Platte County: Platte County has no order requiring masks in public spaces. The Platte County Health Department decided against a mandate Aug. 5, deciding instead to issue a recommendation that masks be worn.
Johnson County: Johnson County has a mask order that applies only to public and private elementary schools. It includes all staff members and visitors where there are students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. School districts may impose stricter rules under the county order.
Wyandotte County: The Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, is under a mandatory mask order applying to most residents over age 5. It applies to Kansas City, Kansas, and unincorporated parts of the county.
Municipalities
Kansas City: Kansas City was the first to announce a return to masks with an order issued by Mayor Quinton Lucas that took effect Aug. 2. Everyone over the age of 5 is required to wear a mask indoors at public places, regardless of vaccination status, with some exemptions. It applies city-wide regardless of overlapping rules in Platte, Clay and Jackson counties.
The current order is set to expire Aug. 31. But city leaders are considering extending the order until Sept. 23.
North Kansas City: North Kansas City reinstated a mask order that took effect Aug. 2. It applies to all visitors of indoor public spaces over the age of 5, with some exceptions. The city has an extended order in effect through Sept. 25.
Independence: Masks are optional. Independence has its own health department that operates outside of the purview of Jackson County.
Prairie Village: City leaders are considering a mask requirement for indoor public spaces. The proposal is scheduled for discussion Aug. 16.
The Star’s Mike Hendricks, Cortlynn Stark, Robert A. Cronkleton, Bill Lukitsch, Sarah Ritter and Aaron Torres contributed to this report.
This story was originally published August 13, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
