COVID-19 news: Mask mandate returns to KC schools, Gov. Kelly declares state of emergency

Here’s the latest on COVID-19 in the Kansas City area:

Kansas City renews mask mandate for K-12 schools

Kansas City government leaders have reinstated mandatory mask-wearing for all K-12 schools as COVID-19 cases continue to surge and area hospitals are becoming overwhelmed with patients.

The measure, introduced for same-day passage by Mayor Quinton Lucas on Thursday, replaces an identical order that expired Jan. 1. It passed by a vote of 10-2.

Ahead of the vote, Lucas acknowledged that the ordinance did not go far enough to satisfy some and went too far for others. But he called the new order a “ largely moderate step.”

“(The order is) one that just looks to make sure that we’re protecting our schools, our schoolteachers, our staff, and our students — to make sure that we’re doing all that we can to ensure that there’s proper mitigation in Kansas City,” Lucas said.

Gov. Kelly declares state of emergency

Kansas has once again entered a state of emergency as COVID-19 patients threaten to overwhelm hospitals struggling with staffing shortages nearly two years into the pandemic.

Gov. Laura Kelly issued a new disaster declaration on Thursday, suspending a series of rules and regulations to help health care facilities respond more rapidly to the rising demand for care.

Kelly said she would work with the Legislature when it returned next week to pass legislation extending the executive orders through March. The state of emergency will expire after 15 days without approval from the Legislature.

Kansas expands vaccine booster eligibility

More Kansans will now be able to get their COVID-19 booster shot, and immunocompromised kids in Kansas can get an additional dose of the vaccine.

On Thursday, Jan. 6, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment authorized vaccine providers throughout the state to begin offering these additional doses.

This comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded vaccine and booster eligibility with new guidance on Jan. 4, and after Children’s Mercy Hospital recorded record numbers of children hospitalized with COVID-19.