Mayor Quinton Lucas bows to pressure — and reality — by relaxing KC’s reopening plan
Mayor Quinton Lucas’s latest revision to his “10-10-10” reopening plan is a worrisome concession to reality: Continuing to aggressively restrict public behavior in Kansas City while nearby communities are throwing their doors open is extraordinarily difficult.
“Kansas City doesn’t live on an island,” the mayor said at a Monday news conference, explaining one reason why he loosened rules for restaurants less than two weeks after announcing his 10-10-10 plan.
That plan has now undergone significant adjustments.
The last “10” — a requirement that public enterprises record contact information for occupants who stay beyond 10 minutes — eroded fairly quickly into a mere recommendation. Now the other two “10s” have been adjusted.
Restaurants will not be capped at the greater of 10 customers or 10% occupancy. Owners said the 10% cap would cripple their establishments.
Instead, starting Friday, reopened restaurants will be required to spread their tables 10 feet apart. Buffets will be prohibited. Masks will be required for restaurant workers facing the public.
Sanitation efforts will be bolstered. Customers with symptoms will be sent home. “Containment is key,” Lucas said. “Good hygiene is key. But also, staying responsible remains key.”
Other nonessential businesses can reopen Friday, but must meet the 10-person or 10% occupancy ceiling until the end of May.
Lucas said he didn’t consider the new restaurant rules as significantly “looser” than the 10% occupancy limit, but don’t be fooled: Local restaurant owners would have never accepted the changes if they didn’t improve their business prospects.
The mayor deserves some credit for his flexibility in adjusting parts of the 10-10-10 plan when needed. But it’s also clear that his response — loosening COVID-19 restrictions — will almost certainly mean more COVID-19 cases in the region.
There is really only one way to avoid that dangerous result. All the proclamations and orders from politicians and bureaucrats must now become less important than individual judgment.
That means wearing masks and washing hands are essential. Social distancing will be crucial in every public setting. Working from home, if possible, must continue. Travel must be limited.
Politicians can reopen restaurants, and playgrounds, and movie theaters. But no one is required to visit them. Kansas Citians will have to become less reliant on leadership this summer and depend on their own common sense and understanding of this public health threat to remain safe.
This is a concern, of course, because neighbors who believe the threat from coronavirus is receding may feel free to socialize, a decision that threatens everyone. If you catch it in a crowded place, others can catch it, too.
The number of cases in Kansas City continues to increase. Missouri and Kansas are still battling the disease. The curves have not sufficiently flattened.
The virus does not care about politics or pressure to reopen. In the weeks ahead, more people will die of COVID-19 in our area because the rules have been relaxed. That’s a simple fact, impervious to political gamesmanship.
Only a responsible public can slow the spread of the coronavirus.