Health officials from the “Core 4,” including Jackson County, Johnson County, Kansas, Kansas City, Missouri, and Wyandotte County, said Friday that the COVID-19 spread is increasing at an alarming rate in the Kansas City metro area and they urge residents in a letter to take seriously the safety precautions in order to help stop the spread of the disease.”As a group, we are thankful to have seen prior efforts successfully mitigate some impacts of this pandemic. Unfortunately, recent data suggests that we are now again losing the battle with COVID-19,” the letter says.”We are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of new cases across the entire metropolitan area, and our front-line workers are having difficulty keeping up with the vast and increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases,” the letter continues.The letter outlines several points about the seriousness of COVID-19 in the Kansas City metro area, and what community members can do:• COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have increased dramatically around the metro, impacting the health of our residents and putting strain on front-line workers and our health system• It is crucial for communities in the metro to work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19• Mask-wearing mandates are extremely important to help us reduce our COVID-19 numbers. Recent data from Goldman Sachs show mask mandates can slow the rate of new COVID-19 infections and are better for the economy than more restrictive steps like lockdown measures• It will also be important to limit interactions in settings like bars, restaurants, and other places where people will have their masks off. Businesses are encouraged to use creative strategies like serving patrons in different outdoor settings whenever possible.• We need everyone’s help now by wearing masks when in public, along with other measures like social distancing, and limiting interactions with those outside of our own households. This is our best chance at avoiding additional restrictions, which we all want to avoid if we can.• Health officials will continue to closely monitor the data and use that to make collaborative decisions on how to protect our community
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
Health officials from the “Core 4,” including Jackson County, Johnson County, Kansas, Kansas City, Missouri, and Wyandotte County, said Friday that the COVID-19 spread is increasing at an alarming rate in the Kansas City metro area and they urge residents in a letter to take seriously the safety precautions in order to help stop the spread of the disease.
“As a group, we are thankful to have seen prior efforts successfully mitigate some impacts of this pandemic. Unfortunately, recent data suggests that we are now again losing the battle with COVID-19,” the letter says.
“We are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of new cases across the entire metropolitan area, and our front-line workers are having difficulty keeping up with the vast and increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases,” the letter continues.
The letter outlines several points about the seriousness of COVID-19 in the Kansas City metro area, and what community members can do:
• COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have increased dramatically around the metro, impacting the health of our residents and putting strain on front-line workers and our health system
• It is crucial for communities in the metro to work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19
• Mask-wearing mandates are extremely important to help us reduce our COVID-19 numbers. Recent data from Goldman Sachs show mask mandates can slow the rate of new COVID-19 infections and are better for the economy than more restrictive steps like lockdown measures
• It will also be important to limit interactions in settings like bars, restaurants, and other places where people will have their masks off. Businesses are encouraged to use creative strategies like serving patrons in different outdoor settings whenever possible.
• We need everyone’s help now by wearing masks when in public, along with other measures like social distancing, and limiting interactions with those outside of our own households. This is our best chance at avoiding additional restrictions, which we all want to avoid if we can.
• Health officials will continue to closely monitor the data and use that to make collaborative decisions on how to protect our community
