Fully vaccinated against COVID-19? Here’s where you need a mask (and don’t) in Kansas City
With changing COVID-19 guidelines and mandates across the Kansas City metro — lifting health orders last week in accordance with new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — it can be confusing to keep track of where you still have to wear a mask.
The general rule: you must mask up if businesses, organizations, school and places of worship require masks. Masks are also required in health care settings, correctional facilities, homeless shelters and on public transportation.
“All the rules that existed for your schools, for your grocery stores, for your private businesses and enterprises can continue to exist,” Mayor Quinton Lucas said at the time Kansas City rescinded its emergency order. “Importantly, they have the authority to continue to impose rules as they see fit to protect those who come within their doors.”
Most of the Kansas City metropolitan area has rescinded mask orders in light of the CDC’s new guidance on masks, which says fully vaccinated people — those who have received their second dose of a two-dose series or a single-dose vaccine — no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance, unless required by local regulations.
People who are not fully vaccinated should still wear a mask, the CDC recommends.
Here’s a list of places that have announced they’ve pulled back mask requirements:
Starlight Theatre recommends that audience members wear masks, but it’s not a requirement.
Hy-Vee announced Tuesday that it will no longer requires vaccinated customers and employees to wear masks, unless locally mandated.
Genesis Health Clubs, which has 14 metro area gyms, was among the local businesses that dropped mask requirements.
A Store Named Stuff in Brookside dropped its mask requirement for customers.
Best Regards Bakery & Cafe in Overland Park does not required vaccinated customers to wear masks.
Target stores said in a statement it would “no longer require fully vaccinated guests and team members to wear face coverings in our stores, except where it’s required by local ordinances.”
Starbucks put out a list of guidance for it’s locations, including making masks optional for vaccinated customers.
CVS also no longer requires mask unless locally mandated.
Costco said that “locations where the state or local jurisdiction does not have a mask mandate, we will allow members and guests who are fully vaccinated to enter Costco without a face mask or face shield.”
At Walmart, “vaccinated customers and members are welcome to shop without a mask,” the company said.
If you’re planning to visit these places, make sure to have a mask handy:
Patrons of the Kansas City Public Library will be required to wear masks when locations open back up to the public next month, the library announced.
Ride sharing apps Uber and Lyft still require riders to wear a mask.
Earlier this week, commissioners with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, met in a special session and opted to table discussion on the county’s mask order until Thursday May 27, leaving its current order requiring masks indoors in place. The order is set to expire May 28 unless it is extended.
The Unified Government Public Health Department has recommended that the county keep its existing health order requiring mask-wearing indoors because of low vaccination rate in the county.
“Seven out of 10 Wyandotte County residents do not have even one dose of the COVID vaccine,” said Juliann Van Liew, director of the Unified Government Public Health Department, during her presentation to commissioners this week. “If after our meeting this evening you walk into a grocery store, odds are the majority of people you encounter will not have received a single COVID-19 vaccine.”
This is a running list that The Star will update as new requirements and mandates change and are announced. If you have a store or restaurant to report has changed its mask requirements contact Kansas City journalists at webeditors@kcstar.com.
