KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas announced Tuesday via social media that he does not intend to renew a mask mandate for public schools.
The current mandate was put in place in early February as a response to the omicron variant of COVID-19, which caused a rise in cases. It is set to expire on Feb. 17.
Following a decline in cases since then, Lucas said he would not seek to extend the requirement.
"With cases, hospitalizations, and deaths on a continued decline, it is time for government to focus on COVID-19 mitigation efforts such as regular testing and ensuring all have access to vaccines," he said in a post. "I do not intend to renew Kansas City’s mask mandate after its Feb. 17 expiration."
We reimposed Kansas City’s K-12 mask mandate as Omicron swept through our community following the holiday season—protecting our students, teachers, and families during this spike—with the goal of getting Kansas City through a difficult moment. I am glad to see cases decline.
— Mayor Quinton Lucas (@MayorLucasKC) February 15, 2022
"At this time, our mask mandate remains in place as it has throughout the school year," Kansas City Public Schools said in a statement. "All of our COVID guidelines are available on our website. KCPS works with community health partners (including the Kansas City, Missouri Health Department and Children's Mercy Hospital), our Board of Directors and administration to decide when changes are appropriate. We communicate widely with staff, families and are community whenever our policies changes."
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