The Platte County Health Department’s board of directors was set to meet Tuesday night after the Citizen’s deadline to discuss the spiraling cases of COVID-19 in the Kansas City metro area and in Platte County.
As of Tuesday, Nov. 17, Platte County reported a total of 2,878 cases, 1,443 of which were reported inside the City of Kansas City (using Monday, Nov. 16 numbers). The remaining 1,435 cases in Parkville, Platte City, Riverside, unincorporated Platte County and other smaller municipalities consist of 79 hospitalized cases, 16 deaths and 949 released from isolation.
Late last week, the Platte County Health Department issued a response to loosened guidelines released by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson which could allow some potentially exposed asymptomatic students and staff to remain in school:
“Platte County Health Department (PCHD) strongly agrees that vigilant and comprehensive mask-wearing can prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and similarly understands the impact of quarantine on children and their families. However, the CDC has not changed its guidance about the need to quarantine individuals identified as close contacts of an infected individual, even when masks are worn in schools.
“Throughout 2020, PCHD and Platte County School Administrators have met and will continue to meet to discuss SARS-CoV-2, published guidance and the impact of the guidance on schools, their employees and their students.
“While we are committed to safely returning to in-person learning, PCHD knows that child-to-child, child-to-adult, and adult-to-child transmission of COVID-19 has occurred in schools in Missouri and Platte County. Transmission has occurred even in schools with strict observation of mask mandates.
“Before the Health Department’s Board of Trustees considers any update to its quarantine guidance to schools that suggests protocols less stringent than those recommended by CDC, the health department will collaboratively discuss the governor’s revised guidance with peer health departments and school administrators and examine the possible physical and mental health and safety impacts to students and the Platte County community.”
KANSAS CITY RESTRICTIONS
Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas — in consultation with Kansas City Health Department director Rex Archer, and health authorities — announced Safer at Home guidelines Monday, Nov. 16 for a partial slowdown of activity in Kansas City to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
“We are in the toughest moment since this virus came into our communities, and overcoming this crisis requires an aggressive and immediate response,” Lucas said. “State lines, county lines, and city lines are nothing more than street names. It takes leadership and all of us — our entire region — to slow the spread.
“Our Safer at Home guidelines are based on recommendations from health leaders in Kansas City, in Jackson, Platte and Clay counties in Missouri, and Wyandotte and Johnson counties in Kansas. We all have a role to play in slowing the spread of COVID-19. We are Safer at Home and I encourage all Kansas Citians to significantly limit their activity as we work to mitigate the spread of this virus, which will help decrease the strain on our hospitals and healthcare workers and keep your families safe.
Archer said, “Without these additional protective measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission, we as a community will continue to see this epidemic spiral out of control. Not only are we seeing record increases in new cases and COVID deaths, we will also experience additional deaths that could have been saved if there was room in the hospitals to treat these other conditions. If everyone takes personal responsibility to follow our new orders dozens of lives will be saved.”
New guidelines are as follows:
All indoor gatherings are limited to 10 people maximum.
Restaurants, taverns, and all other venues, including wedding and other event spaces, shall close at 10 p.m., require social distancing between different parties, and limit the number of occupants indoors to no more than 50 percent of building occupancy. Indoor and outdoor patrons at these facilities must be seated, and also masked at all times except when actively eating or drinking.
Indoor and outdoor parties are limited to a maximum of 10 people and parties shall be spaced with no less than six feet of distance between themselves and individuals from any other parties.
Restaurants, taverns, and bars must immediately report known COVID-19 cases to the Kansas City Health Department.
Masks must be worn in all indoor spaces with more than one person per room, and outdoor spaces where social distancing cannot be maintained.
Patrons of gyms, fitness, and recreational centers, including city, school, and other publicly-owned and managed facilities are required to wear masks at all times, and these establishments are limited to no more than 50 percent capacity.
Any violations of this order can be sent to COVIDViolations@kcmo.org.