Over 200 Kansas City area doctors beg Johnson County schools to require masks for all
As COVID-19 cases soar, more than 200 Kansas City area doctors and other health care providers sent an open letter Monday pleading with Johnson County and its school districts to return to universal masking this semester.
“With the tidal wave of Omicron hitting Johnson County, and no virtual education option, we are now urging all districts as well as the JoCo (Board of County Commissioners) to think about what is at stake before you reconvene this week — the collapse of our education and healthcare systems,” the letter states.
As the highly contagious omicron variant pushes COVID-19 cases to record highs, many Johnson County students are returning to class after the winter break without a mask requirement. The county’s health order mandates masks in schools that serve students as old as sixth grade, although the Johnson County Board of Commissioners is expected to consider whether to maintain or end that order on Thursday.
Most districts previously decided to drop their mandates for older students. The Shawnee Mission school board made masks optional in middle and high schools starting this week, as students return from the holiday break. On Monday, the school board met in special session, where after three hours of debate, it ultimately decided to keep the plan in place.
“As medical professionals who have collectively treated thousands of COVID patients, our recommendation is to keep the K-8 mask mandate in place and to bring back the High School mandate until we are on the other side of this historic surge. Specifically, our recommendations are for K-12 students, teachers, staff, school administrators, and visitors to wear well-fitted masks until the Johnson County positivity rate decreases to 5% or less,” the doctors wrote in the letter.
The Johnson County health department most recently reported a positivity rate — or the number of positive tests over the past seven days — of 21.5%. That’s up from less than 12% at the beginning of December.
The county’s incidence rate — or the number of cases per 100,000 residents over the past week — was 637, up from 374 on Dec. 4.
“Johnson County schools are already facing staffing and substitute teacher shortages. Who will teach our children and run our schools when this highly transmissible variant wipes out our staff?” the doctors wrote. “Area hospitals, clinics and pharmacies are also facing historic staffing shortages and some pharmacies are even closing their doors. The healthcare industry is at a breaking point.”
In the letter, the area physicians emphasized that masks help curb the spread of the virus and are especially important as vaccination rates among children remain low. Johnson County health department data shows that 21.5% of children ages 5-11 are fully vaccinated.
“As healthcare providers and parents in this incredible Johnson County community, we are asking for you to continue a short-term mask mandate. Without protecting this crucial mitigation strategy, more front line healthcare workers will be home with their sick children and family members and not working in area hospitals and clinics,” the letter states. “While we are at home taking care of our families, who will take care of your injuries, heart attacks, and strokes? Your decision on a short-term mask mandate will significantly impact the entire Johnson County community — from students, teachers, staff, and administrators to parents and frontline healthcare workers.”
Last month, 26 Kansas state legislators, local elected officials and newly elected school board members signed a letter urging county officials to drop the mandate, citing student mental health and academic issues.
And on Monday, a different group of more than 30 representatives and local officials submitted their own letter pleading for the county and its school districts to re-implement universal mask mandates.
This story was originally published January 3, 2022 at 5:23 PM.
