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Kansas City mayor spot-checks social distancing at local bars

By Staff | Aug 20, 2020

A billboard along Interstate 35 displays tips to help people prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus Monday, March 16, 2020, in Kansas City, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

? The mayor of Missouri’s largest city has been getting plenty of messages about people not following social distancing guidelines at bars, so he decided to check for himself.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas told the Kansas City Star that on Saturday night, he spent two hours dropping by or looking into eight businesses in the city. His decision to spot check came after a video circulated online showing more than 100 people — most without masks — at an event in the Power & Light District.

The Democratic mayor publicized his personal cellphone number and he’s received several messages about people ignoring guidelines aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. He decided to check out establishments in various neighborhoods of the city: Midtown-Westport, Country Club Plaza and the 18th and Vine Jazz District, where he lives.

Across Missouri, the number of new confirmed cases spiked by 1,148 on Monday, and 26 new deaths were reported. All told, Missouri has seen 68,623 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 1,393 deaths, since the pandemic began.

To try and slow the spread, an emergency order in Kansas City requires masks in all indoor public spaces where people can’t be six feet apart, and the order extends additional restrictions on bars and restaurants.

Lucas told the Star that most businesses were trying to follow public health guidance. He found “one bad actor,” another that did an “outstanding” job following protocols, and most somewhere in the middle.

“There was one establishment I went to that appeared to be following absolutely no protections in the slightest,” said Lucas, who did not name the business.

He said he might revisit the idea of imposing an outdoor mask order to curb the spread of the virus among large outdoor crowds.