State of emergency, mask order extended in Kansas City, Mo. until Jan. 2021

On Thursday, the state of emergency order for Kansas City, Mo. along with the current mask mandate in place was extended into next year, Jan. 16, 2021.

The decision came from the Kansas City, Mo. Health Department and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, who said that due to a reported spike in COVID-19 cases, they believe the extension is needed.

What affect this decision will have on businesses already struggling remains a concern for many in the community.

Under the now-extended order, all employees or visitors to any place of public accommodation must wear face coverings in an area or while performing an activity which will necessarily involve close contact or proximity to coworkers or the public where 6 feet of separation is not feasible, reports 41 Action News.

“Until there’s a widely available vaccine, COVID-19 is here to stay—with serious potential health consequences for those infected,” Lucas said in a Thursday news release. “I will continue to work with Dr. Archer and our City health leaders to take any decisive action necessary—especially as we head into the fall and winter months—to best protect our community.”

Kansas City health officials have said the majority of new cases are coming from long-term care facilities, nursing homes and are being found among young adults.

“It is now obvious to everyone that COVID-19 is not going away over the next five months,” Kansas City Health Department Director Dr. Archer said in the release. “As we move out of summer and into fall and winter, we will still be confronting this health emergency.”