KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Following Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas’ announcement that some non-essential businesses will be allowed to reopen earlier than May 15, Jackson County officials said the stay-at-home order there remains in effect until that date.
In a statement Wednesday afternoon, a spokeswoman for Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. said the county had not been notified that Lucas planned to rescind portions of the stay-at-home order.
Lucas said earlier in the day that non-essential businesses that are not open to the public, such as an advertising agency or factory, will be allowed to reopen on May 6, rather than May 15.
“County staff are currently reviewing the information released by the mayor’s office and plan to speak with public health officials with the City of Kansas City to try and understand what led to the mayor’s decision to relax his stay-at-home order prior to May 15,” the Jackson County statement read, adding that the county will have no further comment at this time.
Lucas said Wednesday that other non-essential businesses— including gyms, museums, bars and restaurants, and government offices — will remain under the stay-at-home order until May 15, at which time they can reopen with additional public health guidelines in place.
Until this point, Jackson County and KCMO have acted in accordance with each other, though other counties in the Kansas City metro — including Cass, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas — all plan to reopen earlier following guidelines set by the state.
However, KCMO businesses in Cass, Clay and Platte counties will still be subject to Lucas' reopening guidelines.
Lucas said Wednesday he believes that it’s important for all jurisdictions in the Kansas City metro to work together to give guidance for what reopening will look like.
“My view would be that it’s important for us to work together not just when we all agree and there’s a prevailing sentiment nationally that we need to do something,” Lucas said Wednesday. “I think it’s also important for us to work together when the politics get tough. It’s important to work together when perhaps people are saying that we are having concerns with what’s happening right now. And I think that’s why we’re taking this step.”
He has also said that Missouri Gov. Mike Parson's plans to reopen the economy in the state should not apply to larger metropolitan areas.
