The Unified Government has updated its order closing restaurants, taverns, bars, clubs, casinos and movie theaters in an effort to slow or stop the spread of COVID-19, according to a news release.
Now, church services, weddings and funerals are banned if they have more than 10 people.
Dr. Allen Greiner, chief medical officer in Wyandotte County, has issued an updated order on the limiting of gatherings with more than 10 people.
“Emerging scientific evidence suggests that early rather than late measures to reduce social interactions by the public reduces the spread of COVID-19,” Dr. Greiner said in a news release. “Epidemiological studies from this year’s outbreak and prior pandemics indicate that the total number of cases and deaths can be reduced by closing venues where the public has prolonged close contact with each other. These measures are based on that important information.”
The updated order removes previous exceptions for religious and faith-based activities, weddings, and funerals, according to a spokesman.
Exceptions for delivery, pick-up, and drive-through food service remain. Exceptions for governmental and judicial functions, health care facilities, and private business operations also remain, the spokesman stated.
Public gatherings of more than 10 people are not allowed, according to the spokesman.
“We must be aggressive to combat the spread of COVID-19, or risk much greater rates of infection in the general population,” Mayor David Alvey said in the news release. “If we all commit to doing our part to limit transmission, then we should expect to return to normal much sooner. Time will tell how effective these measures will be, but these measures must be taken.”
The Unified Government will revisit the decision on April 1 with an evaluation of conditions at that time, according to the spokesman.
UG Commissioner Mike Kane, who was reached tonight, said he had received many phone calls lately about the local government shutting down various things, and that some people were in a panic mode, not knowing what’s going to happen in the future.
“We’re all concerned, all gravely concerned,” Commissioner Kane said.
“In a situation like this,” he said, “we should be worried about our citizens and what’s best to protect them. We need to do as much as possible to protect everyone.”
Also, he said, “We need as much professional equipment for public safety as possible, and we need it as soon as possible.” Public safety workers do not need to be bringing home an illness they received at work that could infect others at home, he said.
“I want everyone who works with us to be as safe as they possibly can be,” he said.
Everyone, he said, needs to take action to make sure they are not exposed to COVID-19.
Commissioner Kane also said he supported Gov. Laura Kelly’s actions, including closing school buildings, and said that “people will look back one day and say she did what she did to protect us.”
“In times like this we need to stand together and do what’s best for the community,” he said.
More information about the UG’s response to COVID-19 is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information