RideKC to hand out thousands of masks at bus stops next week after Kansas City order
RideKC will provide free masks to riders next week following the implementation of a city-wide order requiring the use of face coverings in public settings.
The agency announced its plans in a news release Friday night.
Workers will be placed at busy transit centers and bus stops to provide the masks. According to the release the agency will be distributing thousands of masks, which were received from the Federal Transit Administration.
“Safety is our top priority at RideKC,” Robbie Makinen, KC Area Transportation Authority CEO, said in the release. “This public health crisis has required flexibility and changes on the part of our riders and our operators. We recognize the important role everyone has in keeping one another safe and in keeping our community connected to opportunities.”
Earlier Friday, Mayor Quinton Lucas announced a new order in Kansas City requiring the use of face coverings in public spaces starting Monday.
The move came in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, as the area has seen its highest number of daily increases since the first cases of the virus were detected in March.
The order directs businesses to refuse service to anyone not wearing a mask and requires all employees and visitors to public indoor spaces to wear masks.
Those exempt from the mask requirement are, according to the mayor’s office:
▪ Minors, with strong guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Kansas City Health Department that children over age 2 wear face coverings.
▪ People with disabilities that prevent them from comfortably wearing or taking off face coverings or communicating while wearing face coverings.
▪ People with respiratory conditions or breathing trouble.
▪ People who have been told by a medical, legal, or behavioral health professional not to wear face coverings.
▪ People seated in a restaurant or tavern who are consuming food or drink while adequately distanced from other patrons.
This story was originally published June 27, 2020 at 2:57 PM.
