Douglas County brings back mask mandate as COVID infection rate spikes, starting Friday
On Friday, Jan. 7, an emergency mask mandate will go into effect for anyone 2 years or older inside a public place in Douglas County, which includes Lawrence.
The Lawrence-Douglas Public Health Department and the County Commission issued the emergency public health order on Wednesday in an attempt to protect its residents from the ongoing COVID-19 surge and to alleviate local health care systems.
The mandate requires people to wear a mask when inside a public place, riding or waiting for public transportation, in-line to enter public spaces or outdoors but unable to socially distance.
The order includes guidance for businesses that require employees, customers and visitors to wear a mask when working in public, preparing food or in an area where people are unable to stay 6-feet apart.
Since Dec. 17, when the omicron variant was first detected in Douglas county, the county’s COVID positivity rate rose from 4 percent to 11.9 percent.
Based on data from the last 14 days, the average number of new cases per day is 89, which is a record high for the county, according to a statement from the public health department.
The rapid spread of the omicron and delta variants are also testing the limits of local hospitals.
“Our current emergency room wait times are longer due to patient volume,” Lawrence Memorial Hospital Health President Russ Johnson said in a statement adding that each hospital’s ability to respond to this surge is also dependent on whether staff will be available to care for patients.
The Douglas county mask order comes a day after Missouri and Kansas medical officials called for more emergency declarations to help mitigate the spread of the virus.
“An emergency declaration in both states would be extremely helpful,” HCA Midwest Chief Medical Officer Kim Megow said during a statewide call with medical professionals in the region.
As the pandemic rages on, cities and counties in the Kansas City metro area have yet to implement new mask mandates or guidelines to curb the spread of the virus. At the state level, neither Kansas or Missouri has issued a new statewide mask mandate.
Here’s a round-up of the mask mandates in the metro area.
The Douglas County emergency order will go into effect immediately on Friday, Jan. 7 and will last until Jan. 12, unless the county commission decides to rescind or extend the order.
Do you have more questions about masks or COVID-19? Ask us at kcq@kcstar.com or with the form below.