Some Kansas City, Missouri, businesses can reopen this week under new rules that took effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.
Although gyms, bars and playgrounds must remain closed until next week, many non-essential businesses are allowed to reopen. Here are some of the things Kansas Citians can do now that they couldn’t do last week:
- Go to work at a non-essential business that isn’t open to the public.
- Get a haircut at salons that are observing the 10/10/10 rule — no more than 10 customers at a time, or 10% of building occupancy, whichever is greater.
- Attend a small religious gathering, wedding or funeral indoors (again, the 10/10/10 rule applies) or a larger service outside (up to 50 people).
Now, if you’ve been able to work from home, you don’t have to go back into the office yet. Per Mayor Quinton Lucas’ latest emergency order, non-essential businesses should allow employees to continue to work from home. Employees with health and safety concerns — as well as employees who don’t have child care right now — should not be expected to go in, either.
On May 15, the rules relax again. Next Friday, Kansas Citians can:
- Go to the gym
- Drink at a bar
- Eat at a restaurant
- Visit a museum
- Take Fido to the dog park
- Take their kids to the playground
- Go to a movie theater
- Go to City Hall and other government buildings
- Visit a community center
However, because all of those businesses must adhere to the 10/10/10 rule, some won’t reopen right away.
Movie theaters, for instance, don’t expect to reopen until summer blockbusters are released in June and July.
And many restaurateurs say they won’t be able to break even serving 10 customers at a time.
Expect a different experience, too. Businesses are being encouraged to collect the names and numbers of customers who linger for longer than 10 minutes so contact tracers can get in touch if there’s an outbreak of COVID-19. The exception is religious gatherings, which don’t have to collect any information from churchgoers.
People at high risk for serious illness from the coronavirus should continue to stay home unless they are seeking essential items or medical care.
Missouri’s statewide stay-at-home order lifted on Monday, though many municipalities in the Kansas City area have asked residents to follow stricter rules.
Kansas’ phased reopening also began on Monday.
