KANSAS CITY, Mo.- — For at least the next two weeks, Kansas Citians will still have to remember to take their mask to places like the grocery store, but Angelica Marquez and her family don't mind.
"For the most part, I know he (her son) complains about it sometimes, but we're getting it down — it's a routine for sure," Marquez said.
Her nine-year-old son would like to get the COVID-19 vaccine but can't just yet, making him and others in his age group vulnerable.
While overall new cases are lower than what they were in August when the latest mask mandate went into effect, the infection rate among kids is up, according to the Kansas City, Missouri, Health Department's COVID-19 dashboard.
"Maybe the predominant reason is not just to keep ourselves safe as individuals, but to keep our society, our fellow citizens safe," said Councilwoman Katheryn Shields, who represents Kansas City's 4th District at large.
Congruent with previous votes on mask mandates, council members Heather Hall and Brandon Ellington opposed the extension.
"People should have a choice, and how they actually proceeded in creating mandates outside of personal choices creates a very slippery slope," Ellington said.
The KCMO mask mandate is now set to expire on Oct. 7, in line with Jackson County who has had to go to court over the mandate.
"We'll have rules for a while. We need to follow them to make sure everybody will be safe," KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas said.
Some believe the current measures aren't strict enough.
"I lost a loved one to COVID, my thing is that I think they had let down the mandate too soon. They need to keep it up until they get a cure for this, until everybody gets vaccinated," said Victoria Nunez, Kansas City resident.
