KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Wyandotte County joined its counterparts across the state line Friday in rolling back its mask mandate, which was put in place by emergency order amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, Commission adopted a new emergency health order, which will continue to require people to wear face masks in public spaces but repeals other aspects of past orders.
The new Wyandotte County order is similar to orders put in place this week by Kansas City, Missouri, and Jackson County officials earlier in the week.
Wearing masks outdoors and social-distancing requirements inside businesses, while no longer mandated, continue to be recommended.
The order went into effect Friday and remains in place through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, May 28.
The Commission heard Thursday from the UG Public Health Department, which recommended aligning its mask order with the new orders in KCMO and Jackson County.
“UGPHD officials emphasized that Wyandotte County’s population has not reached herd immunity in terms of vaccination rates, and that mask-wearing, especially indoors, is still an important strategy for reducing the spread of COVID-19,” the Unified Government said in a statement Friday afternoon.
Platte County and Clay County also have similar scaled-back mask mandates in place.
The Johnson County Board of Commissioners ended the mandatory mask requirement Thursday, downgrading it to a recommendation.
Wyandotte County schools are allowed to continue setting their own mask policy and exemptions remains in place for religious activities, children age 5 or under, people with certain health conditions, and people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
If all individuals at a gathering are fully vaccinated, meaning it’s been at least two weeks since receiving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine or a second Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, masks are not required.
