8 a.m. Monday COVID-19 update

LONG NOW BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEARIS OUT FOR MANY KIDS IN OUR AREAREGARD.I SAID A NUMBER OF SCHOOLDISTRICTS ARE ROLLING BACK ATTHEIR MASK MANDATES AHEAD OFTIME THIS MORNING.KMBC9 NEWS SAYS TEAM COVERAGE ONBOTH SIDES OF THE STATE LINE.WE START MISSOURI WITH OUR MATTEVANS AND LEE’S SUMMIT SO MATTAND WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THESCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE YOU ARE?GOOD MORNING.YEAH.HEY, GOOD MORNING TO YOU.ROB THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HERE INLEE’S SUMMIT SENDING OUT A NOTETO PARENTS JUST HOURS AFTER THEJACKSON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENTRECENTED.IT’S AT MASK ORDER AND ALLOWEDTHE COVID-19 EMERGENCY ORDER TOEXPIRE IN JACKSON COUNTY,MISSOURI AND THAT NOTE TOPARENTS.OF COURSE ALSO FOLLOWS THAT NEWUPDATED GUIDANCE FROM THE CDCTHAT WAS RELEASED LAST WEEK ATLEAST SUMMIT SCHOOLS WILL NOLONGER BE REQUIRING MASKS INTHAT NOTE.THE DISTRICT SAID QUOTE INCOMPLIANCE WITH THE EXPIREDHEALTH ORDERS MASKS WILL NOGONNA BE REQUIRED IN THE LSR-7SCHOOL DISTRICT PRE-K THROUGHADULT REGARDLESS OF VACCINATIONSTATUS THE MIAMI HEALTHDEPARTMENT IN THE CDC BOTH SAYTHAT THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BEENVACCINATED SHOULD CONTINUE TOWEAR MASKS.THE DISTRICT IS ALSO LEAVING THEPOSSIBILITY OPEN.THAT MASKS COULD BE REQUIRED TOGET INTO THE FUTURE CITED THATORGANIZATIONS CAN NOW SET THEIROWN MANDATES IN JACKSON COUNTYCONTINUING IN THAT LETTER QUOTEWHILE CASES ARE LOW IN THE LSR7DISTRICT.CURRENTLY THE DISTRICT MAY NEEDTO REEVALUATE ITS MASSREQUIREMENTS SHOULD CASES SPIKEIN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION SOMEPARENTS OF THE DISTRICT NOWVOICING THEIR FRUSTRATION WITHTHIS DECISION, SO, TO THE END OFTHE SCHOOL YEAR AND IT LITERALLYSAYS, YOU KNOW BASED ON THECDC’S NEW GUIDELINES GDC’S NEWGUIDELINE.FULLY VACCINATED PEOPLE AND THENIF YOU REALLY SUMMERS NODE, ITSAYS REGARDLESS OF VACCINATIONOR NOT.I THINK YOU MISSED THE POINTTHERE.YOU CAN READ THAT FULL NOTE ONOUR WEBSITE RIGHT NOW KMBC.COM.IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE.THAT WHILE MASKS ARE NO LONGERREQUIRED IN CLASSROOMS OR ONSCHOOL CAMPUSES.THEY WILL CONTINUE TO BEREQUIRED ON SCHOOL BUSES FORBOTH ADULTS AND CHILDRENREGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUSTHERE LIVELY SOME OF THISMORNING MATT EVANS CAME TO C9NEWS.MATT THANKS SO MUCH AND ELKGROVE AND BLUE SPRINGS DISTRICTSHAVE ALSO JOINED LEE’S SUMMIT INDROPPING MASTER REQUIREMENTS FORSTUDENTS AND STAFFERS REGARDLESSOF VACCINATION STATUS ELK GROVEENCOURAGES FAMILIES TO FOLLOWTHE CDC IN JACKSON COUNTYGUIDELINES THAT STRONGLYRECOMMEND FACE COVERINGS FORSTUDENTS AND THOSE NOT FULLYVACCINATED AND WE’RE TOLD THEDISTRICTS ALSO KEEPING OTHERSAFETY POLICIES IN PLACE.ANY CANCER SEVERAL PEOPLE PLANTO PROTEST AND PUSH FOR THEDISTRICT TO KEEP FACE MASKS ONAT SHAWNEE MISSION’S SCHOOLBOARD MEETING TODAY.KATIE STEIN IS MARTIN AUGUSTINEIS LIVE WITH THIS STORY DISTRICTHEADQUARTERS NOW MARTIN, GOODMORNING.NOW WHAT’S BEHIND ALL THIS?WELL, THIS IS A GROUP OF PARENTSPATRONS OF THE DISTRICT OTHERPEOPLE TOO WHO ARE CONCERNEDTHAT THE SHAWNEE MISSION SCHOOLBOARDS ON THE CUSP OF LIFTINGTHE MASK MANDATE IN THE OPINIONOF THIS GROUP WAY TOO EARLY.SO THIS GROUP WANTS THE BOARD TOKEEP THE DISTRICT FACE MASKBANDIT IN PLACE THROUGH THE ENDOF THE SCHOOL YEAR AND THERE’SONLY TWO WEEKS REMAINING IN THESCHOOL YEAR THAT THEY ARGUE.SO WHY RUSH THROUGH ANY CHANGESAT THIS POINT, ESPECIALLY WHENCOVID-19 VACCINATIONS ARE ONLYOPENING NOW FOR 12 TO 15 YEAROLDS, SO THERE’S NOT ENOUGH TIMEFOR TO BE FULLY VACCINATED PRIORTO THE END OF THE SPRING TERM IFTHE BOARD WOULD WAIT UNTIL NEXTYEAR TO ADDRESS THE MASK MANDATETHIS GROUP ARGUES AND BY THENMOST KIDS WILL HAVE BEENVACCINATED FOR COVID-19 SCHOOLBOARD MEETING STARTS AT 4:30REPORTING LIVE MARTIN AUGUSTINECAME TONIGHT NEWS MARTIN.THANKS SO MUCH AND MANY LOCALGOVERNMENTS HAVE LIFTED MASKS INSOCIAL DISTANCING MANDATES FORTHOSE WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED.THEY INCLUDES KANSAS CITY,MISSOURI INDEPENDENCE JACKSONCOUNTY CLAY COUNTY PLATTE COUNTYAND JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS.AND WHY NOT IN DOUGLAS ARE THEONLY TWO COUNTIES IN KANSAS THATSTILL HAVE MASK RULES IN PLACE.WYANDOTTE COUNTY LEADERS WILLMEET THURSDAY TO CONSIDERPOTENTIAL CHANGES.WELL DOUGLAS COUNTY LEADERS WILLMEET THIS WEEK AND WE’LL KEEPYOU POSTED ON WHAT HAPPENS ANDTHIS PAST WEEKEND MARKED A MAJORCHANGE IN THE PANDEMIC.IT WAS THE FIRST FULL WEEKEND INWHICH PEOPLE WHO ARE FULLYVACCINATED COULD GO MASCULUS OURJARED HILLS IN WASHINGTON WITH ACLOSER.LOOK AT THE CHANGES WE’RE SEEINGSO THERE’S A BIT OF A MIXED BAGOF REACTIONS.YOU HAVE SOME SAY IT’S EASINGTHEIR MASKING RESTRICTIONS.WHILE OTHERS AREN’T QUITE THEREJUST YET AND THEN THE NATION’SLARGEST NURSES UNION SAYS THATTHIS DECISION IS JUST HAPPENINGWAY TOO SOON NATIONAL NURSESUNITED ARGUES THAT THE NEW CDCGUIDANCE PUTS PEOPLE IN THEHEALTHCARE FIELD AT RISKCONCERNED IN PARTICULAR WITHCOVID-19 VARIANTS.THE CDC SAYS PEOPLE DO NOT HAVETO WEAR MASKS INSIDE OR OUTSIDEIF THEY’RE FULLY VACCINATED.AND THAT THE VACCINES SEEM TOPROTECT AGAINST THOSE VARIANTS.STATES LIKE MARYLAND ANDPENNSYLVANIA ARE LIFTING THEIRMANDATES WHILE HAWAII IS KEEPINGTHEIRS IN PLACE BUSINESSES AREALSO FIGURING OUT WHAT THISMEANS FOR THEM WALMART ANDCOSTCO SAY YOU DON’T NEED A MASKIF THAT’S THE RULE IN YOURSTATE, BUT OTHER BUSINESSES AREWAITING TO MAKE THOSE CHANGESPART OF THE REASON.IT’S TOUGH TO KNOW WHO’S FULLYVACCINATED.IN TERMS OF THE HONOR SYSTEMPEOPLE HAVE TO BE HONEST WITHTHEMSELVES YOU’RE PROTECTED IFYOU’RE VACCINATED YOU’RE NOT IFYOU’RE NOT VACCINATED THEEDUCATION COMMUNITY IS ALSOWORKING THROUGH THESE GUIDANCES.THE CDC SAYS THAT SCHOOLS SHOULDCONTINUE WEARING MASKS AT LEASTTHROUGH THE END OF THIS YEAR.REPORTING IN WASHINGTON JAREDHILL AND KIDS AGE 12 AND UPPERAND NOW ELIGIBLE TO GET THEFISER VACCINE HEALTH EXPERTS AREHELPFUL.THEY’LL GET THEIR SHOTS PAVINGTHE WAY