MISSION, Kan. — If you live in Johnson County, Kansas, you are still required to wear a mask in public places.
The state finance council extended Governor Laura Kelly's disaster declaration to Nov. 15 last week, which includes a mask mandate.
Until the Board of County Commissioners vote otherwise, the mandate remains in effect in Johnson County.
Business owners in Johnson County told 41 Action News they're happy the mandate is still in effect.
Daisy Rodriguez, owner of Oregano and Thyme, said her business required masks before there was a county mandate.
"It's perfect, I mean it's something that everyone should have, the whole country should have it," Rodriguez said. "If you consider yourself a part of a community, well this is the way to keep your community as intact as possible."
Rodriguez said she had a few nasty experiences enforcing mask wearing in her store before there was a county mandate.
"That caused a lot of trouble, many people were against the masks and there was a lot of insecurity and a lot of questions and there were people who were very, very angry," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said she will continue to ask customers who refuse to wear a mask in her business to leave.
"You want to stay healthy yourself, you want your family and friends to stay healthy, and you want your community to stay healthy," Rodriguez said.
Becky Hanf, co-owner of Mission Fresh Fashion, said she will enforce mask wearing in her business even if the mandate is removed.
"It's the right thing to do. We want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem," Hanf said.
Hanf said most of her customers are 55 to 75 years old, so it's important to her they feel safe in her store. She said she will always support a mask mandate.
"We think it's what's best for our business and for our customers' safety," Hanf said.
The chairman of the Board of County Commissioners or a commissioner can always ask to add the mandate to an agenda. Until that happens and there's a vote to rescind it, the mandate will stay in effect.
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