Douglas County lets mask mandate expire as COVID-19 cases have sharply decreased
Douglas County is the latest place near the Kansas City region that will no longer require people to wear masks.
The Lawrence-Douglas Public Health Department and the county commission decided to let the mask mandate expire Wednesday as COVID-19 cases continued dropping.
The mandate required anyone age 2 and older to wear masks in indoor public spaces, while riding or waiting for public transportation and in line to enter public spaces, regardless of vaccination status.
The commission implemented the mandate on Jan. 5, 2022, as the omicron variant surged and the county saw a record number of new cases.
On Feb. 9, the commission voted unanimously to extend the mandate until March 2. COVID-19 cases have sharply decreased in the county — and in the Kansas City area. The 14-day rolling average was just below 25 new cases per day, according to the health department. On Jan. 16, the county saw its highest 14-day average with 342 new cases per day.
Kansas City’s mask mandate for K-12 schools ended Feb. 17. A few surrounding areas, including Prairie Village and Roeland Park, have mandates that run through March 16.
