UPDATE: Mayor Lucas announced on May 28 that restrictions will remain, but they will also relax a little heading into June. Businesses will move to 50% capacity, and restrictions are expected to phase out on July 5.
READ: Mayor Quinton Lucas announces new order that allows businesses to operate at 50 percent capacity
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Reopening restrictions will be extended into June, according to a Facebook post by Mayor Quinton Lucas.
The restrictions were set to expire Sunday, May 31. However, Lucas and city officials have remained cautious about loosening restrictions further.
His announcement comes in direct response to Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s decision to scrap mandatory phases, turning her statewide reopening orders into suggested guidelines. However, he did not specify a new ending date, saying he will give more information later.
“Nonetheless, Kansas City, Missouri’s current order ends this weekend but will be extended. We will have more to share soon on our amended order (we will still have compulsory elements) and plans for our continued responsible reopening approach to keep Kansas Citians safe,” Lucas stated in the post.
The total number of coronavirus cases in the city rose above 1,000 on May 26, according to Kansas City government data. New cases have remained fairly steady between 100 and 200 cases throughout all the weeks of May, with no significant increase or decrease.
There have been eight deaths from the coronavirus since May 15, when the restricted reopening went into effect. Four of those deaths happened that weekend.
“The order will be evaluated on an ongoing basis and may be modified as circumstances change, based on guidance from public health officials and other medical experts,” according to an FAQ section on the city’s website.
Current Kansas City restrictions based on the 10/10/10 rule allow non-essential businesses to open with limits on capacity based on square feet and social distancing protocols. The city also released rules specifically for restaurants.
