KANSAS CITY, Mo. — People who live, work, and visit Kansas City, Missouri, may soon be required to wear masks into September.
Mayor Quinton Lucas introduced an ordinance Thursday that, if passed, would extend the city’s mask rules and guidance through September 23, 2021, regardless of vaccination status.
Masks have been required for everyone age 5 and older in Kansas City, Missouri, since August 2, because of the spike in COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant.
Originally, mayor Lucas said the mandate would be in place until at least 12:01 a.m. Saturday, August 28, depending on the number of COVID-19 cases in the city.
According to the new ordinance he introduced at Thursday’s city council meeting, COVID-19 hospitalizations are the highest in almost six months, and area hospitals are near capacity.
The ordinance also mentions that the CDC continues to consider Cass, Clay. Jackson and Platte counties as high transmission areas.
A Missouri law that Governor Parson signed in June stipulates that local leaders can’t issue public health orders for longer than 30 days at a time without approval. That’s why the mayor is asking the city council to extend the health order until September 23.
