KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson plans to reopen the state May 4, but Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas won't rescind the city's stay-at-home order, which will continue through at least May 15.
"This ain't the way. And what I mean by that is we have got to, instead of just saying we're opening, we've got to make the guidelines," Lucas said. "The most important part of what we're doing, they shouldn't come second. What we shouldn't be doing is telling some Missourians, including some now in the metropolitan area, 'Yeah, we're gonna be opening, and we'll figure it out.'"
Parson said the state will announce guidelines early next week for the planned reopening, but he said Friday during his daily press briefing that business owners and customers will bear much of the responsibility for conducting themselves safely to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
Lucas told 41 Action News, while he respects Parson, he believes the decisions being made are better for smaller communities, not Kansas City.
"Our entire metro, Missouri and Kansas, we need to work together to figure out how we're all going to be safe, not just get to the gym as fast as possible," Lucas said.
Parson said gyms, nail salons and barber shops — businesses that have a hard time by their nature adhering to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines for social distancing — will be allowed to reopen May 4.
He said the state would provide some guidance about suggested protective equipment.
Local health departments can keep stay-at-home orders in place beyond May 4 — including Jackson County, which also has already extended its order to May 15.
Businesses also can go above and beyond the state's guidelines and recommendations, but those aren't likely to be extensive or enforceable.
"I don't think you're going to need government to regulate everything about how you run your business," Parson said. "No. 1, the business will take it upon themselves to make sure that customers feel safe and, frankly, the customers are not going to go there if they don't feel safe."
Lucas said his first priority is making sure his constituents are safe, which means not restarting the economy until the chances for a second wave of COVID-19 are diminished.
"I wanna make sure we are not seeing an outbreak in Liberty, an outbreak in Platte City, or anywhere in this viewing area," Lucas said. "That's why we have to work together and not just simply say these categories of businesses are open without first thinking how do we responsibly open all of them."
Lucas said he knows the different reopening dates across the Kansas City area can be confusing for people and businesses. He is working with legislators and commissioners from the different counties that include or surround Kansas City to be more consistent.
"I hope that all of us can get together and figure out a way and be smart and be responsible in how we're opening up," Lucas said. "Unfortunately, I don't think we're there yet."
Bottom line, his office says if you live in KCMO, you need to abide by the city's stay-at-home order through May 15, even after the state decides to reopen.