Jackson County will ease some COVID-19 restrictions starting Friday – KMBC Kansas City

COMING IN — COMING UP ON FUTURESCAN. ROB: JOHNSON COUNTY IS THE STATE’S LARGEST COUNTY WITH MORE THAN 600,000 RESIDENTS. IN A MEETING THIS MORNING, COMMISSIONERS VOTED TO LET THE CURRENT ORDER EXPIRE. THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE IT WITH A RESOLUTION TO STRONGL RECOMMEND MASK IN PUBLIC SPACES. RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE THREE OTHER MAP — KANSAS COUNTIES THAT STILL REQUIRE A MASK. ALSO, WE ARE WATCHING VACCINATION RATES IN BOTH OUR STATES. THE CDC REPORTS 42% OF KANSANS HAVE NOW RECEIVED THEIR FIRST DOSE OF A CORONAVIRUS VACCINE. 30% ARE CONSIDERED FULLY VACCINATED. IN MISSOURI, 37% HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE SHOT. 26% ARE FULLY VACCINATED. HY-VEE WILL NOW OFFER CORONAVIRUS VACCINES ALL OF ITS PHARMACIES WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT. THE GOAL IS TO MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT THEIR SHOTS TO GET THEM. IF YOU STILL WANT TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT IN ADVANCE, YOU CAN. JUST GO TO HY VEE’S WEBSITE. A REMINDER VACCINES ARE FREE TO EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF INSURANCE COVERAGE. IF YOU NEED HELP SCHEDULING YOUR SHOT, GO TO KMBC.COM. JUST CLICK HOW TO GET A VACCINE TO FIND THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO FIND SHOTS CLOSE TO WHERE YOU LIVE. HOW LONG WILL THIS GO ON? DOCTORS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS HEALTH SYSTEM ADDRESSED THAT QUESTION WHEN IT COMES TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. DOCTOR DAVID WILD POINTS TO ISRAEL WHERE MORE THAN HALF OF THE NATION IS VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19 AND THEY ARE NEAR HERD IMMUNITY HE ALSO POINTS TO THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY WHERE INFECTION RATES ARE LOW. DOCTOR WILD SAYS BOTTOM LINE EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE VACCINATED. >> GETTING PEOPLE VACCINATED AND POPULATION-BASED IMMUNITY IS WHAT GETS US OUT OF THIS THING. ROB: TODAY, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS HEALTH SYSTEM, THEY HAVE 25 PATIENTS WITH THE CORONAVIRUS. THERE ARE 13 ACTIVE COVID INFECTIONS. SIX PEOPLE ARE IN THE ICU. THREE OF THOSE PATIENTS ARE ON VENTILATORS. 12 PEOPLE ARE

Jackson County will ease some COVID-19 restrictions starting Friday

Masking and social distancing are no longer required outdoors

Jackson County announced that it will ease some of its COVID-19 restrictions based on the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The new health order, which takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday includes:Masking and social distancing are no longer required outdoors, although masking is recommended with medium to large gatherings. Small gatherings, indoor and outdoor, of fully vaccinated individuals are permitted without restriction. Large gatherings are still discouraged at this time. All persons, including those who are vaccinated, must still wear masks in public indoor settings. Social distancing is no longer required indoors, although distancing is still recommended wherever possible. “We are slowly restoring some normalcy in our daily lives by doing activities we love and enjoy without restrictions,” said Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr. in a news release. “With the science-based guidance of our health department, I am proud of the progress we have made together, as a community, to reach this point. Moving forward, we must remain vigilant in protecting one another from the virus, and we know the most effective way to do that is by getting vaccinated.””We thank the community for the sacrifices they’ve made over this past year to help control the spread of COVID-19 and keep each other safe,” said Bridgette Shaffer, director of Jackson County Health Department. “The COVID-19 vaccines offer hope, but we are not out of the pandemic yet. We must continue to wear masks, avoid crowds, get tested when sick, and get vaccinated.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —

Jackson County announced that it will ease some of its COVID-19 restrictions based on the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The new health order, which takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday includes:

  • Masking and social distancing are no longer required outdoors, although masking is recommended with medium to large gatherings.
  • Small gatherings, indoor and outdoor, of fully vaccinated individuals are permitted without restriction. Large gatherings are still discouraged at this time.
  • All persons, including those who are vaccinated, must still wear masks in public indoor settings.
  • Social distancing is no longer required indoors, although distancing is still recommended wherever possible.

“We are slowly restoring some normalcy in our daily lives by doing activities we love and enjoy without restrictions,” said Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr. in a news release. “With the science-based guidance of our health department, I am proud of the progress we have made together, as a community, to reach this point. Moving forward, we must remain vigilant in protecting one another from the virus, and we know the most effective way to do that is by getting vaccinated.”

“We thank the community for the sacrifices they’ve made over this past year to help control the spread of COVID-19 and keep each other safe,” said Bridgette Shaffer, director of Jackson County Health Department. “The COVID-19 vaccines offer hope, but we are not out of the pandemic yet. We must continue to wear masks, avoid crowds, get tested when sick, and get vaccinated.”