KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Under an amended emergency order, the Jackson County Health Department will no longer automatically limit gatherings in the county to 100 people or fewer, but larger gatherings now require special permission from the county's Environmental Health Department.
The Jackson County Health Department announced the latest revision to the county’s emergency health order, which takes effect at 1:01 a.m. on Oct. 9, Friday afternoon.
Gathering organizers who want to have more than 100 people at an event must submit a mitigation plan through the county’s Gathering Protocol portal at least 72 hours before the event.
The county will consider the plan based on the ability to enforce social distancing, mask requirements, staffing and security availability to ensure compliance, communication of changes to the venue layout, instructive signage, a contact-tracing plan, advance cleaning protocols, proposed health checks and physical facility specifications among other considerations.
“Gatherings continue to be high risk activities that have the potential to become super spreader events,” the health department said in a statement. “Organizers and attendees of events and large gatherings, especially those that are most vulnerable, should take the risk of COVID-19 seriously when weighing the decision to attend an event.”
The Blue Springs School District sued the county in early September over gathering restrictions related to high school football attendance.
A judge denied the district’s initial request for a restraining order, but the matter remains pending in Jackson County Circuit Court.
The Jackson County Health Department would not say if the revised order was related to Blue Springs’ lawsuit.
“We’re not commenting on the lawsuit at this time,” county spokeswoman Kayla Parker said Friday by phone.
Parker did confirm that Blue Springs — or any other school district in eastern Jackson County — could submit a form and, if approved based on protocols outlined by the district, receive permission to have more than 100 fans at sporting events or other gatherings.
