UG Commission passes mask mandate

A modified mask mandate was approved in an 8-2 vote Thursday night by the Unified Government Commission.

Commissioner Mike Kane, 5th District, proposed a “carve-out” for the resolution, with the mask mandate not applying to schools, and also not applying to the cities of Bonner Springs and Edwardsville.

The “carve-out” version passed 8-2, with Commissioners Christian Ramirez and Harold Johnson voting against it. The two commissioners supported not carving out the schools and other cities from the resolution. Ramirez and Johnson were in favor of a more extensive mask mandate.

With the “carve-out,” the local school boards and other cities will make the decision about masks for their own districts and cities.

The mask mandate is contained in a local health order and will require wearing a mask indoors in public spaces for vaccinated and unvaccinated persons who are age 5 and older, for a six-week time period. It goes into effect upon approval by the commission, according to the resolution.

According to UG Health Department officials, this mask mandate aligns with the newest CDC guidance from July 27 that counties with substantial or high transmission require masks for vaccinated and unvaccinated people.

A rather raucous crowd in the City Hall lobby spoke out against the mask mandate in person, cheering each other loudly, during the public hearing.

Speaking in favor of the mask mandate were several persons who made their comments remotely on Zoom.

Daran Duffy, who came in last in the primary for mayor on Tuesday night, said, “The thing is, we don’t need you guys telling us how to live.”

Mary Gerlt, a Libertarian who lost the Tuesday night primary election contest for the Board of Public Utilities, told the commission that this was really not their role as a government, to cheers from the lobby.

“Everyone is responsible for themselves, for their personal health,” Gerlt said.

Ned Kelley, a Libertarian who ran unsuccessfully for office in the primary, said about the doctors’ presentation, “They want you to be more scared.”

“Live free or die!” John Burns shouted.

A woman who identified herself only as Mamie, with no last name, commented on Zoom, “Can everybody in the public lobby calm down? We’re going to take care of everything, but at the same time, calm down.

“If we want to keep our families safe, wear a mask, get the shot, calm down,” she said.

The Rev. Tony Carter, pastor of Salem Baptist Church, was in favor of the mask mandate.

“The fact is, we’re all in this together,” he said. “What affects me affects you.”

Although they don’t live in the same houses, when someone makes a choice not to wear a mask or get vaccinated, it isn’t good for everyone, according to Carter. He said he was concerned about his grandchild who was too young to get a vaccine, and favors the mask mandate because of her.

Broderick Crawford also supported the mask mandate, “because I want to protect my family.”

“We need to stop the spread,” Crawford said. “The way we stop the spread is to mask and vaccinate.”

Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System, spoke by a video link at the meeting. The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce had asked the UG Commission to delay their vote until after a hospitals’ presentation Friday morning, but Mayor David Alvey said the UG had already delayed the vote one week, after last week’s UG meeting, and they didn’t want to delay it more.

Instead, Dr. Stites made a presentation at the UG meeting.

The hospitals in Greater Kansas City are filling up, and need the community’s help to stop the spread of COVID-19 and the Delta variant, Dr. Stites said.

At this time, the hospitals are struggling to take care of their own patients, those with and without COVID, he said.

New positive cases of COVID-19 have risen dramatically in the past few weeks. The KU Health staff is seeing a rise in COVID-19, also, with more than 100 employees currently out with COVID or out while waiting test results. That is with a vaccination rate of about 75 percent for hospital staff, according to Dr. Stites.

“We’re in much more trouble now than last fall,” Dr. Stites said. The Delta variant spreads more, and spreads more quickly, also.

The community held the curve down last year by wearing masks, and Dr. Stites recommended masks again, along with vaccinations. Vaccinations take a few weeks to a month to take effect, so masks are needed now, until more people get vaccinated.

Dr. Stites asked for the community’s help. Without it, people who have heart attacks or strokes may have to wait in the hallway to find a bed for 10 to 15 minutes, which could be a serious risk.

“We have to all take care of each other,” Dr. Stites said.

In that one-week delay of the UG Commission’s vote, the COVID numbers got worse in Wyandotte County.

Last week, 512 Wyandotte County residents became sick with COVID, and three died from COVID, said Juliann van Liew, UG Health Department director.

Vaccine rates here remain low, around 35 percent.

Dr. Allen Greiner, chief health officer for Wyandotte County, said Wyandotte County is in a high transmission area and it is following CDC guidelines on masking in indoor spaces.

To see the UG Commission meeting on YouTube, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNFKCArmT3Y