Kansas City mayor declares state of emergency over coronavirus, canceling large events
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has issued a state of emergency, forcing all events with more than 1,000 people to cancel and halting non-essential travel for city employees, his office announced Thursday.
Lucas made the move in conjunction with Health Department Director Rex Archer and Emergency Medical Services Medical Director Erica Carney. The emergency declaration is in effect for an initial period of 21 days.
“Protecting all of our residents remains our top priority, which means that how we interact over the weeks and months ahead will need to change dramatically as we confront our current public health challenge,” Lucas said. “I appreciate our community’s understanding during this ever-changing time and encourage all residents to continue exercising good judgment.”
In a news conference later Thursday morning, Lucas said the city doesn’t “come to these decisions lightly.”
“We think the steps that we’re taking today will buy important time for our public health, public safety infrastructure,” Lucas said.
Archer said it’s time for Kansas City residents to take “social distancing seriously.”
“In addition to washing your hands, covering your cough and avoiding handshakes, we encourage all Kansas Citians who feel ill to stay home and avoid crowds of any size,” Archer said. “People with high risk factors should not go to crowded events.”
Lucas’ declaration doesn’t apply to schools and won’t shutter bars, restaurants or other businesses. He said there is no reason to consider it a “mass quarantine” and avoid going out in public. He and Archer said vulnerable populations — such as those over age 60, those with heart and lung conditions and anyone who is immunocompromised — should take extra precautions.
The order would bar religious institutions from holding services for more than 1,000 individuals at a time, but they could proceed with normal meetings so long as the groups don’t exceed that number.
Lucas’ announcement is the latest in a series of steps local officials and organizations have taken to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, which has infected more than 1,000 people in the U.S.
Kansas health officials on Thursday announced three new cases of the coronavirus, all men in Johnson County who had traveled to a conference in Florida. That is in addition to a fourth Johnson County case, a woman who had traveled to the Northeastern United States.
The only confirmed case in Missouri is a St. Louis County woman.
But though there is not a larger outbreak, officials have been making preparations to limit the spread of the disease.
Universities in Kansas and Missouri have canceled classes, and the remainder of the Big 12 basketball tournament underway at the Sprint Center will take place without fans in the arena. The Missouri Senate will not hold its session next week because of coronavirus concerns.
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 10:32 AM.
