KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Regardless of vaccination status, staff and visitors will not be required to mask in county buildings and facilities starting Monday, March 7, in Jackson County, Missouri.
Weekly COVID-19 testing will remain for unvaccinated staff.
Additionally, temperatures will continue to be taken upon entrance in county buildings and facilities.
The masking change comes after updated guidelines were released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a news release from Jackson County.
Updated criteria consider the number of hospital beds in use, hospital admissions and the total number of new cases in an area.
Jackson County currently falls in the "medium" category.
“Since the pandemic began nearly two years ago, I have said I will trust and follow the science, as well as the CDC recommendations to determine how we move forward," Jackson County Executive Frank White said in a statement. "It is in that spirit we implement this new approach to help keep our community safe.
“Over the past several weeks, we have made significant progress in reducing virus spread and stress on our hospital systems. The downward trend is encouraging, but I urge everyone to continue doing their part to protect each other by getting tested, vaccinated and boosted, and to remain respectful of those who still choose to wear a mask in public spaces.”
The county can return to masking if community numbers increase.
Changes in policies will be released on Fridays, ahead of any new masking or other policy changes, in the next week.
Last month, Jackson County's numbers in all three categories plunged.
The 7-day average for daily cases reached 20.57 the week of Feb. 20 compared to 322.86 the week of Jan. 23.
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