KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City will require residents and visitors to wear masks in indoor public places until at least Jan. 16, Mayor Quinton Lucas announced Thursday.
The mayor and Rex Archer, director of the city's health department, said cases of COVID-19 continue to increase in the Kansas City area, and the virus is likely to stay until a vaccine becomes widely available.
The order means people will be required to wear masks in indoor areas where social distancing is not possible. It includes some exceptions, such as people with medical conditions that make it difficult to wear masks. Bars and restaurants will continue to be limited to 50% capacity.
Kansas City has seen increasing numbers of cases this summer, averaging at least 100 confirmed cases nearly every day for weeks.
The state of Missouri also has seen a steady increase in cases, and on Thursday added 1,267 more, bringing the state total to 63,797 since the pandemic began. Missouri reported two new deaths Thursday, raising the total to 1,325.