Platte County Health Department Board of Trustees has voted to end a stay-at-home order on May 3. The change means businesses can reopen on May 4, but with a set of restrictions in Platte County more strict than the state’s reopening plan.
The announcement was made Tuesday evening. The stay-at-home order for Platte County previously had not been set to end until May 15.
In Platte County, mass gatherings will still not be permitted. The Platte County Health Department’s order says all restricted gatherings continue to include religious and faith-based activities as well as school graduations, weddings, wakes, funerals etc.
The new order takes effect May 4 and will remain in effect through Sunday, May 31.
In Platte County, retail businesses are required to collect the names and phone numbers of all persons, including customers, who enter the store “in the event contact tracing of positive COVID-19 patients becomes necessary,” according to the amended order.
Businesses also must create a safety plan to ensure that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s social-distancing guidelines are followed.
Under the amended order, restaurants in Platte County can resume dine-in options but with tight guidelines. In order to offer dine-in services:
Restaurants must adhere to social-distancing guidelines;
Tables must be spaced at least six feet apart with no more than 10 people at any single table or group of tables;
Restaurants must submit a written safety plan to the Platte County Health Department via email to reopenplan@plattehealth.com or other electronic means that “meets the guidelines established and published by the Platte County Health Department;”
A plan summary for employees and customers must be posted near the front door or front entrance of the restaurants and subject to spot inspections by the Platte County Health Department.
The rules for retail businesses in the Platte County Health Department service area include: Businesses, excluding restaurants, with less than 10,000 square feet may have no more than 25% of authorized fire or building code occupancy in the store at a given time, while businesses larger than 10,000 square feet must have 10% or less the number of customers based on the same occupancy standard.
The order also states that: “All essential and non-essential, non-food establishments shall create a safety plan to meet the Social Distancing Requirements. These essential and non-essential businesses and organizations are encouraged to post their written safety plan at or near the front door or front entranceway of their location to provide notice to the public, their customers and clients of said safety plan.”
Dagmar Wood, first district commissioner for Platte County, recently said she has made it her “personal agenda to try to get the health director to adjust her date” off the previous May 15 lifting of the stay at home order.
On Tuesday evening on her Facebook pages, Wood initially reacted with glee at the announcement that the date had been “pulled back” but she may not have read the details of the order just yet. In giving the news, she first posted an emoji of a lady dancing in heels with a twirling skirt. But a couple hours later Wood was posting a link where her Facebook followers who had concerns about the details of the order could send comments to the health department. “This is their order,” she later wrote, referring to the health department.
John Elliott, second district county commissioner, also initially posted a very positive reaction he would later walk back.
“Major kudos to Commissioner Wood for her dogged determination in working with the health department to get this accomplished! Major kudos to the health department for revisiting their previous order and making the change!” he posted early in the evening Tuesday.
He later had a different outlook, apparently after reading the order.
“After initial optimism with the revised order, I’m very disappointed with these restrictions/requirements and will be discussing them ASAP,” he posted around midnight on the Dearborn Neighbors Facebook page.
“Commissioner Wood worked her tail off to present the information needed for a pullback of the order and to get the county reopened. I can’t speak for her but I seriously doubt this was her desired outcome. It certainly isn’t mine,” Elliott posted a bit later.
“Commissioner Wood worked her tail off to present the information needed for a pullback of the order and to get the county reopened. I can’t speak for her but I seriously doubt this was her desired outcome. It certainly isn’t mine,” Elliott posted a bit later.
While Gov. Mike Parson announced a state reopening plan on Monday that features guidelines much looser than Platte County’s, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas as of Landmark deadline early Wednesday morning had not made an announcement pertaining to Kansas City, including the portion of Kansas City within Platte County. The Kansas City stay at home order is not set to expire until May 15.
“We will propose new business re-opening guidelines for Kansas City in the next day or two, so that we can open responsibly to avoid public health harm and avoid future business interruption to the fullest extent possible. We’ll do it right. Stay safe and healthy,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a Facebook post on his public figure page Monday night.
Lucas had a press conference scheduled for 12 noon Wednesday to discuss what he is calling Kansas City’s “soft opening” plan.
Follow the Platte County Landmark on Facebook for updates.
THE GOVERNOR’S PLAN
Gov. Parson on Monday announced the first phase of the “Show Me Strong Recovery” Plan outlining how Missouri will reopen economic and social activity on Monday, May 4.
Local county health departments can enact policies more strict than the state plan, and that is what the Platte County Health Department has chosen to do.
The governor’s plan calls for no limitations on social gatherings and activities as long as those activities adhere to social distancing requirements, including six feet of space between individuals in most cases.
Parson said there will be no limitations on social gatherings as long as necessary precautions are taken and six feet of distance can be maintained between individuals and/or families.
The governor’s plan also says all businesses can be open provided that the social distancing guidelines set forth in a new health order are followed. Some businesses will be required to take additional precautions to protect their employees and the public, such as occupancy limits at retail locations.
The governor’s decision allows people to attend an event at a large venue or stadium and movie theaters, as long as “seating shall be spaced out according to social distancing requirements.”
“This will apply to events such as amusement parks and attractions, concerts, funerals, museums, school graduations and weddings,” according to the governor’s decision.
Most businesses will be required to adhere to certain guidelines, such as maintaining six feet of space between individuals. But those requirements won’t apply to people in jobs that require closer contact, such as in barber and cosmetology shops, hair salons and tattoo parlors.
In those type situations, Parson’s order will leave it up to the individual businesses to implement safety measures for employees and customers.