More of Johnson County reopens Friday after COVID-19 shutdown. Here’s what to know
Movie theaters, museums, bowling alleys and community centers may open in Johnson County on Friday as Kansas continues to roll back weeks of restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But bars, nightclubs and swimming pools will stay closed for now. Gatherings of of more than 15 people are not allowed unless there’s enough room for social distancing.
The county is following Gov. Laura Kelly’s statewide plan for reopening the economy. Kelly announced earlier this week that the state will enter Phase 2 of the plan, after keeping businesses closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Wyandotte County had at first imposed more stringent rules due to widespread COVID-19 outbreaks. But it will catch up with the rest of the state on Friday, entering Phase 2 along with Johnson County.
Here’s what you can and can’t do in both counties:
What you can do starting Friday
▪ Visit a community center, with social distancing. Indoor and outdoor pools remain closed.
▪ Go bowling, watch a movie at a theater, tour a museum or go to other indoor recreation spaces. Social distancing is required, and groups are limited to no more than 15. That said, many of those businesses may not be ready to open their doors right away. Check before you go.
▪ Participate in organized sports and practices, with restrictions that vary based on the sport and facility.
▪ Pick up your diploma at graduation, but indoor ceremonies are limited to groups of 15.
▪ Work out in group classes at fitness centers, gyms and yoga studios, as long as classes are limited to 15 people.
What you can continue to do
▪ Get your hair cut at a barbershop or salon, but you have to have an appointment.
▪ Get your nails done, get a tattoo or go tanning, but you also need an appointment.
▪ Go to your gym or health club. Locker rooms remain closed.
▪ Eat at a restaurant. But tables must be limited to parties of 10 and kept six feet apart. Back-to-back booths with barriers are allowed.
▪ Go to church or other houses of worship as long as social distance is maintained between groups.
▪ Send your kid to a licensed child care facility.
▪ Shop at retail stores as long as you observe social distance.
What you can’t do
▪ Gather in groups of more than 15 unless you can practice social distancing.
▪ Go to bars or nightclubs. (But you can get carryout food and drinks there.)
▪ Go to an indoor or outdoor event venue that has a capacity of 2,000 or more.
▪ Go to public swimming pools.
▪ Go to summer camp.
▪ Go to a fair, festival, carnival or parade.
Is it safe to go out?
Even though more businesses are starting to reopen, health officials urge everyone to stay home as much as possible and continue following social distancing requirements.
In deciding to relax more restrictions starting Friday, Kelly credited declining COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and death rates across the state.
Sanmi Areola, Johnson County public health director, said that locally, officials have also reported improved numbers. But he warned that the virus continues to spread in the community, especially at some workplaces and long-term care facilities. As of Thursday afternoon, Johnson County had reported 679 cases and 59 deaths.
“I think the numbers we are seeing are there because of the shelter-in-place order,” Areola said. “The virus is here. The more we interact, the more we provide opportunities for the virus to spread. … We need to keep doing what we are doing so that we remain where we are.”
In Wyandotte County, Mayor David Alvey said public health officials decided to begin following Kansas’ phased reopening plan because the county has made “significant progress in reducing transmission of COVID-19.”
He added the decision was also made in “in an effort to provide consistency and uniformity to residents and businesses confused by the current mix of state and local guidelines.”
“However, it’s important to recognize that we have only slowed, not stopped, the spread of this virus,” Alvey said.
Health officials encourage everyone to stay home, avoid gatherings, wear facial coverings in public, cover coughs and sneezes, and wash hands frequently.
If hospitalizations and COVID-19 cases continue to decline, Kelly said Kansas will progress to phase 3 on June 8. Mass gatherings of up to 45 would be allowed in that phase, and pools could open. But several local municipalities, including Overland Park, Prairie Village, Roeland Park and Fairway, have decided to keep their municipal pools closed.
