KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City's Power and Light District is back open for business.
The Kansas City Live! Block in the popular entertainment district reopened at 4 p.m. Wednesday with some changes in place to maintain social distancing guidelines.
"It's been a long time coming. So, it's going to be exciting to get the energy back," said Kevin Rodewald, director of operations for Power and Light.
But amid the reopening of Power and Light and other parts of the Kansas City metro, Missouri is experiencing a second wave of coronavirus cases.
"We are now up to ten and a half percent of the state's cases, and it's growing," said Dr. Rex Archer, director of the KCMO Health Department. "We are growing at a faster rate than the rest of the state."
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Archer said he had a feeling the second wave could happen.
"We are now seeing this here because of all the opening back up that has been occurring," Archer said.
About two weeks after Missouri reopened on May 4, cases began to rise again — climbing 8%, 15.6% and 23% in the weeks from May 16 through June 5.
So far this month, Missouri has reported more than 200 new COVID-19 cases in 12 of the first 16 days in June, numbers the state only saw on nine days in all of May.
Experts say people's behavior toward reopening affects the spread of the virus.
"It's not an easy win situation," Archer said.
Power and Light officials are trying to keep safety at the top of their minds while the second wave is here.
"It's an open, free-flowing environment that we are trying to recreate here with tables out in the plaza area, first and second floors. It creates opportunity for guests to spread out," Rodewald said.
Instead of allowing people to stand near the stage, there are tables set up where people can sit. Each table will have a QR code that customers can use to order from Pizza Bar or Guy Fieri's Dive and Taco Joint for contactless ordering.
Masks are not required for Power and Light visitors but are encouraged.
Archer, for his part, has some advice for people who want to go to Power and Light.
"Stay with a small group. Don't mix with a lot of other folks," Archer said. "Identify your small group, where you are less likely to be infecting each other and getting infections from another group. So, don't mix around."
