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COVID-19 Emergency Order FAQs

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1. When will the new emergency order take effect and how long will it be in place?

The updated emergency order will go into place the morning of Thursday, Jan. 14 at 12 a.m. and will be in effect until further notice. The order will be evaluated on an ongoing basis and may be modified as circumstances change, based on guidance from public health officials and other medical experts. 

2. What is considered a gathering? What gatherings are allowed or not allowed?

Gatherings are groups of individuals, who are not members of the same household, congregated together for a common or coordinated social, community, or leisure purpose. This prohibition includes planned and spontaneous gatherings as well as public and private gatherings. Gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited unless a mitigation plan is submitted to and explicitly approved by the Clay County Public Health Center (CCPHC).

Examples of social gatherings of more than 10 persons that are prohibited unless a plan is submitted and approval is granted by CCPHC include:

• Concerts, theater performances, and lectures.
• Conferences and trade shows.
• Celebrations or memorials of life events (such as weddings, birthdays, and funerals).
• Informal social gatherings (including dinner parties and holiday celebrations).

Gatherings are permitted with ten (10) or fewer persons in one place, subject to social distancing requirements. Prohibited gatherings do not include regular commercial or educational activity by workers, students, or customers of businesses.

Examples of regular commercial or educational activity that are exempt from the 10-person limit include:

• Standard business activities at workplaces, provided all workers and customers follow mask and social distancing requirements.
• Regularly scheduled classes, practices, sporting events, and other activities at schools, provided mask and social distancing requirements are followed, and attendees are limited to only students and staff. All events open to spectators (including sporting events) are subject to the 10-person limit and require approval by CCPHC.
• Regularly scheduled meetings of community, religious, health, and civic groups (for example, church services or weekly support groups), provided mask and social distancing requirements are followed. Given the spread of COVID-19, we strongly encourage virtual attendance at these meetings.

3. Are weddings subject to the 10-person limit or are they limited to 50 percent capacity?

Indoor weddings involving more than 10 persons must be approved by Clay County Public Health Center (CCPHC). To obtain this approval, the venue or household hosting the wedding must submit a mitigation plan to CCPHC at least seven days before the event.

Once a plan is submitted, CCPHC has the discretion to approve these events for up to 50% of venue capacity. Any receptions at which food or beverages will be served are required to follow the same guidelines as restaurants and taverns:

• Venues where food and drink are being served must close by 10 p.m.
• All attendees and staff must wear masks at all times while not actively eating and drinking.
• Guests may only eat or drink while seated, and keep distance from guests from other households while eating or drinking.
• Tables must be limited to no more than 10 people.
• Venues must immediately report positive COVID tests by staff or attendees to CCPHC.

4. I operate a venue that has many events (for example, funerals) that are very similar in nature. Must I submit a plan for each individual event?

Venues that are hosting largely similar events may submit one plan for that type of event. Clay County Public Health Center has the discretion to require venues to submit information about individual events to ensure the safety of attendees.  

5. Where can I submit a gathering plan for review?

Please use this form to apply for your event of over 10 people. BEFORE YOU BEGIN, please make sure your event does not already qualify for an exemption by reading the FAQs/the emergency order. 

ALSO, any events that will take place in Kansas City will need to request a waiver via the Kansas City Health Department instead.

6. What are the new masks requirements?

Everyone must wear a face covering or mask while indoors in any room, partition, or area where someone from another household is present. Additionally, residents and visitors to the county must wear masks in outdoor spaces where social distancing of at least six feet cannot be maintained, except where further exceptions, if any, are approved by Clay County Public Health Center.

Exceptions to this requirement are:

• Minors below the age of 5; and
• Persons who have disabilities for which masks constitute a substantial impairment to their health and well-being based upon medical, behavioral, or legal direction; and
• Persons who are in a restaurant or tavern and are seated and engaged in consuming food or drink while adequately distanced from other patrons; and
• Persons who are obtaining a service involving the nose or face for which temporary removal of the face covering or mask is necessary to perform the service.

7. Must I wear a mask while working out indoors at a gym?

Yes. Gyms and fitness facilities are also limited to no more than 50% capacity. 

Must I wear a mask while exercising outside? You do not need to wear a mask or face covering while exercising outside, so long as you can maintain at least six feet of distance from others.

8. How can I report non-compliance with mask requirements, gathering limits, or other elements of this Emergency Order?

Violations of the emergency order can be reported online here. PLEASE NOTE: if the business’ address is Kansas City, you must contact the Kansas City Health Department. 

9. Why is the county requiring masks or facial coverings to be worn?

In order to help reduce the rapid rate at which COVID-19 is spreading, CDC recommends that all individuals over the age of 2 wear masks in public settings and when around people who don’t live in their household. Numerous studies have found that masks help reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Find more info on our Face Masks & Coverings page.

10. I have a disability that prevents me from wearing a mask, what are my options?

Individuals who cannot wear a mask due to a disability can request a reasonable accommodation from a business. Examples of reasonable accommodations that business may provide include:

• Allow a person to wear a scarf, loose face covering, or full-face shield instead of a face mask;
• Allow customers to order online with curbside pick-up or no contact delivery in a timely manner;
• Allow customers to order by phone with curb-side pick-up or no contact delivery in a timely manner;
• Allow a person to wait in a car for an appointment and enter the building when called or texted; or
• Offer appointments by telephone or video calls.

Businesses can deny service to customers who refuse to wear a mask or utilize these reasonable accommodations.

11. What are the guidelines restaurants, taverns, and bars must follow to ensure safety?

• All restaurants, bars and taverns must close to dine-in service at midnight (12 a.m.).
• No more than 10 individuals shall be seated in a party.
• Establishments must notify Clay County Public Health Center if any employee or customer is known to have tested positive for COVID-19.
• All patrons must be seated while eating and/or drinking. Six-foot distancing shall be maintained between different parties, as measured from back of chair to back of chair. This includes booths, which may necessitate closing off every other booth space in certain layouts.
• Customers and employees of food establishments must wear masks while not actively engaged in consuming food or beverages. This includes waiting to be seated, entering/exiting the establishment, and using restrooms or other facilities in the restaurant.
• Patrons who are exhibiting symptoms shall not be allowed to dine.
• Employees who are exhibiting symptoms shall not be allowed to work.
• Buffet style food service is not permitted. In addition, all self-service food operations are not permitted.
• All employees are required to wear protective face coverings at all times.
• All dining surfaces, including tables, chairs and highchairs must be cleaned and sanitized between customers.
• Cleaning and sanitizing of frequently touched surfaces like doors, door handles, service counters, restrooms and waiting areas must be completed at a minimum of every 90 minutes.
• Patio and outside dining service is allowed with social distancing of six feet between parties; however, no food preparation may take place outside the county-permitted kitchen.
• Restaurants must adhere to all requirements set forth in the Clay County Food Code, including handwashing frequency, employee health guidelines and proper sanitization of surfaces.
• Restaurants are encouraged to emphasize carry-out and delivery services, to minimize contact among people.
• Restaurants are strongly encouraged to maintain a log of all customers who spend more than 10 minutes seated at the establishment. Logs are to be kept for 30 days at the establishment before discarding/deleting. Log records will be kept confidential and will only be used to aid efforts to notify customers and staff about potential COVID-19 exposure.
• Single-service menus that can be thrown away after one use are encouraged, but if cost-prohibitive, all menus are to be cleaned and sanitized between every customer.

12. Must patrons be seated while ordering food from takeout establishments?

Patrons may be standing to order takeout or pick-up, provided the food is not consumed on-site and that masks are worn at all times while in the establishment.  

13. What are general guidelines businesses can follow to keep employees and customers safe?

• Allow employees to work from home to the maximum extent feasible.
• Require all employees and customers to wear masks or other face coverings.
• Allow employees to maintain at least six feet of distance from each other and customers as much as feasible.
• Implement sick leave policies which allow any employee who shows any signs of COVID-19 infection (fever, cough, shortness of breath) to remain home until at least 3 days after symptoms have gone.
• Send home any employee who exhibits COVID-19 symptoms while at work.
• Provide easily-accessible hand sanitizer for employees and customers. 
• Encourage employees to regularly wash their hands with soap for at least 20 seconds.
• Regularly disinfect commonly used surfaces such as door handles, counters, and payment terminals.
• Limit cash exchanges.

The Mid-America Regional Council has produced a guide to help businesses return to work safely. Additional information on protecting businesses and employees is available on the CDC website.

14. What are guidelines for youth and educational operations?

Education, youth activities, and child-care operations can operate, subject to the following guidelines:

1. Education, youth activities, and childcare should be carried out in stable groups, preferably with 10 or fewer (“stable” means that the same 10 or fewer children are in the same group each day);
2. Children should not change from one group to another;
3. If more than one group of children is cared for at one facility, each group should be in a separate room. Groups should not mix with each other;
4. Childcare providers should remain solely with one group of children;
5. Youth activities shall endeavor to maintain social distancing between and among staff and youth to the extent feasible.
6. No spectators are allowed at sports or other events, unless a mitigation plan is submitted and an exemption is granted by Clay County Public Health Center.

15. Are masks required for children while playing sports or during recess or PE?

Sports:

Our guidance is that masks are not required for basketball players when they are in the game on the floor or for wrestlers on the floor in a match. If they are on the bench or sidelines they are required. However masks are also not required for basketball players or wrestlers during scrimmaging or other parts of strenuous practice activities. If they are watching film/video or other less strenuous practice activities then they would be required to wear a mask.

Swimmers are not required to wear masks when they are in the pool either practicing or in competition but should wear a mask otherwise.

Gymnastics

• All gymnasts must wear a mask as they enter the gym. The mask must be properly marked to identify whose mask it belongs to.
• Masks are required by gymnasts except when on gymnastics training equipment or apparatus.
• When not masked, gymnasts must maintain physical distance of at least 6 feet except when a masked spotter is required for the safety of the activity.
• Any time wearing a mask is unsafe for an activity the mask does not need to be worn.

Indoor Soccer

• Our guidance is that masks are not required for soccer players when they are in the game and on the field. If they are on the bench or sidelines, they are required.
• However, masks are also not required for soccer players while scrimmaging or other parts of strenuous practice activities. If they are watching film/video or participating in other less strenuous practice activities, then they would be required to wear a mask.

Masks are required for all cheer and dance activities.

PE & Recess:

Masks are required at PE activities except for periods of strenuous activity.

Elementary school - Masks required while using the playground equipment. Students may go unmasked for the rest of outdoor recess while maintaining six feet physical distancing.

16. Must all employees report to work?

No, employers should reasonably accommodate employees that have underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of COVID-19 and/or need to care for a minor or sick family member.

Clay County Public Health Center strongly encourages all employers to continue to allow individuals to work from home to the extent feasible, and to make accommodations for individuals at high risk for serious complications from COVID-19.

If you are being forced to work in conditions without appropriate PPE, please contact Clay County Public Health Center.

17. I live in Clay County but work in a neighboring city or county. Which guidelines should I follow?

Guidelines are determined by the geographic location of your place of employment. If you work outside of Clay County, the rules governing the place of your employment will be determined by that jurisdiction. The city of Kansas City, Jackson County and Wyandotte County have similar orders to that of Clay County.

Similarly, individuals who live outside of Clay County but work or operate businesses inside Clay County must follow county regulations for their businesses and places of employment.

18. When will this order be updated?

Clay County Public Health Center (CCPHC) will continue to monitor health indicators to evaluate when to further relax these restrictions. These indicators include:

• Sustained declines in the average number of new daily reported cases, both in Clay County and across the broader metropolitan region;
• Hospital utilization and ICU availability;
• Testing capacity;
• The ability to trace, test, and isolate individuals who are potentially exposed to the virus, also known as contact tracing.

It is important to note that CCPHC does not have a specific timeframe for when to begin the next phase of reopening, as that decision will be made based on the above indicators and the guidance of our public health team.