O'FALLON, Mo. -- Missouri's largest city will reopen with significant restrictions next week, as jurisdictions in the state's two urban areas begin to move away from stay-at-home orders that sought to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announced Wednesday that starting May 6, some "nonessential" businesses, along with religious gatherings, may resume, with limits on crowd sizes and, in some cases, requirements that contact information of those in attendance be recorded.
"We're saying it's important for us to reopen, but we're going to be smart about how we do it," Lucas, a Democrat, said.
The new order does not include restaurants, bars, gyms and other businesses that draw large crowds, according to city spokeswoman Morgan Said. Those businesses must still wait until May 15.
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Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson's stay-at-home order ends Sunday, but Democratic leaders in Kansas City, Jackson County, St. Louis and St. Louis County previously announced plans to extend their orders through at least mid-May.
Late Tuesday, Mayor Sean Flower of the St. Louis County town of Eureka announced on Facebook that his community of 10,000 was breaking from the county mandate and reopening Monday.
"We can no longer follow the rules we are under without economic ruin," Flower said.
A Section on 04/30/2020