KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. has issued a state of emergency for the county in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The order comes after Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas issued a state of emergency for the city earlier Thursday. White said in a news release that the county emergency “will expand the order” issued by Lucas to all of Jackson County.
“This fast-moving virus does not know city, county or state lines. It is critical that our response is not limited by such geographical boundaries either,” White said in a news release. “While the health concerns posed by the virus are serious, it is important that our community not panic. We will continue to closely monitor the situation in collaboration with local, regional and national health experts, who will help guide our response to this quickly changing situation.”
Under the state of emergency, events with 1,000 people or more will be banned in the county.
There have been no cases of COVID-19 in Jackson County as of late Thursday afternoon.
In a news conference on Thursday, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he was not issuing a state of emergency for the state at this time.
