The Platte County Health Department has shifted the county into the next phase of the pandemic recovery plan, as of June 1.
The department’s board of trustees voted Friday to amend the county’s “COVID-19 Response, Reopening and Recovery Plan.” The amendment brings the county into consistency with Gov. Mike Parson’s extended order issued on Thursday, May 28.
Highlights of the more relaxed restrictions in “Phase Two, Step Two” are:
• The allowable size of outdoor mass gatherings increases to 250 people.
• Childcare centers may increase the stable group size of children in the center from 10 to 20 children.
• Team sports may begin competitions with outdoor gatherings limited to 250 people per field so long as physical distancing requirements are complied with.
• Physical distancing requirements remain in place for all Platte County businesses.
• In buildings of less than 10,000 square feet, non-retail businesses may increase the number of occupants allowed in a building to 50 percent of the fire or building code occupancy limit.
• In buildings of more than 10,000 square feet, non-retail businesses may increase the number of occupants allowed in a building to 25 percent of the fire or building code occupancy limit.
• Recommendations continue for seniors and vulnerable populations to stay at home and avoid large gatherings altogether.
The full plan is available online at plattecountyhealthdept.com.
The next meeting of the board of trustees is a work session scheduled for Tuesday, June 9.
During a work session held Tuesday, May 26, the board discussed the data available at that time, with director Mary Jo Vernon stating there hadn’t been a huge increase in cases within the last two weeks, and some of those positive cases have been part of a cluster in a Riverside nursing home.
A positive test at another unnamed nursing home was later registered as a negative during retesting, with the board discussing testing at other nursing home facilities. Vernon said the health department had have reached out, but administrators were hesitant to accept the free testing without corporate approval and had yet to get back in touch with the health department.
Using seven-day moving averages of the numbers of tests administered and the number of positive and negative results recorded was identified as the most useful method of tracking Platte County’s progress. However, that analysis depends upon data provided by the state, which is often slow to report complete numbers.
The board also discussed the possibilities of “Phase Two, Step Three” during the latter part of June, which would further loosen restrictions, including, among other changes, increasing the permitted size of “stable groups” of children in school settings and loosen requirements on sporting events.
For July, the board focused on the fate of the 2020 Platte County Fair and whether or not the county would be prepared to move to “Phase Three,” which would be a cautious return to normal allowing the fair to go on.
The board tentatively agreed, via a role call vote, to consider entering Phase Three in July if infection numbers remained favorable, but the biggest event in the county still may not go on.
“We’re trying to be optimistic with our planning, knowing that realistically we might have to step back,” trustee Cathy Hill said of the Phase Three planning.
Trustee Paula Owen Willmarth abstained from the preliminary vote, stating she felt the discussion was premature.
“It’s very easy to get relaxed about this stuff since everything seems quiet,” said board chair Dr. Kent Jackson. “I know I have to keep reminding myself to wear a mask even though I wear one all day long. Everyone has to be careful.”
The board circled back to the fair by the end of its meeting, with Jackson stating the idea of having the fair makes him nervous. Cass County has cancelled its 2020 county fair and the Missouri State Fair may be shortened or altogether cancelled.
Trustee Dr. Theresa Hills said she believed the fair board was well aware that the 2020 fair may need to be cancelled.
“Maybe people should have thought about choosing (the Platte County Fair) over Lake of the Ozarks,” she said, in reference to the crowds recorded ignoring social distancing restrictions at the lake over the Memorial Day weekend. “I do believe there is going to be a spike from that.”
Board members agreed, and also agreed Platte County does not want to make headlines for holding a fair that could potentially spread the infection.
“We don’t want to be the only place open and have everyone come here,” Jackson said.
Vernon also presented to the board a possible regional advisory tool introduced by Dr. Rex Archer of the Kansas City Health Department, similar to weather advisories, that would allow area health departments to update citizens on the current status of COVID infections on a given day.
As of Tuesday, June 2, the total number of cases in the county is 147, 74 of which are within Kansas City and 73 outside of KC, such as Platte City, Parkville, Riverside and other small cities and rural areas.
Two deaths have been reported.
Between April 21 and May 31, the health department administered 577 tests, 13 of which were positive. Results are pending for 43 of those tests.