New Sedgwick County health order would allow bars, clubs to reopen
UPDATE, 11:20 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020: The Sedgwick County Commission voted 3-2 to affirm Dr. Garold Minns’ health order, which will take effect Saturday. Two motions to amend the order failed.
Original story:
Sedgwick County’s health officer is planning to let bars and nightclubs that were closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 reopen on a limited basis, while a mask mandate would be extended and expanded slightly, the county announced late Tuesday.
Dr. Garold Minns is working on a new order to modify a coronavirus containment order issued about a month ago that’s set to expire Friday.
On Tuesday, the county released a proposed outline for the new regulations that would allow bars and clubs that have been closed for nearly a month to reopen at 50% capacity.
Those businesses would have to close at 11 p.m.
The planned order is expected to impose the same 11 p.m. curfew on restaurants serving alcohol.
Under Minns’ current order, those establishments can stay open until midnight.
The matter will be discussed at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the County Commission meeting, which is closed to the general public but can be watched on KPTS-Channel 8 or the county’s YouTube channel.
The proposed order has not been finalized and Minns has previously tweaked recommendations to the commission at the last minute.
While Minns can issue health orders on his own authority, a law passed by the Legislature at a special session in June gives the commission the power to override him, which it has done on several occasions.
“He (Minns) felt the commission wanted to see clubs get to open again and he wants to honor that,” county spokeswoman Kate Flavin said in an e-mail. “Under this order, NO businesses have been shut down by his or government directive though he has placed what he considers to be reasonable restrictions that will greatly help reduce virus spread in the community.”
The new order is also expected to continue to require that protective face masks be used by employees, customers and visitors of any business or nonprofit agency in areas that are open to the public, as well as in industrial workspaces where employees cannot maintain 6 feet of spacing.
The mask requirement is expected to expand to include younger children. The current order requires masks for ages 11 and older, but Minns plans to lower the age exemption to 5, Flavin said.
That would make the order consistent with the city of Wichita’s mask ordinance and Wichita school district plans.
“Mask wearing is critical and will stay in effect,” Flavin’s e-mail said. “Age (is) lowered based on schools starting and new evidence that kids can get COVID, get sick from COVID, and spread COVID to others. Masking as at least gives some defense in medical opinion.”
Minns has said coronavirus infection numbers are headed in the right direction, “but not enough to keep schools open in a relative safe manner,” Flavin said.
The new order is expected to be in effect until Sept. 8, the day after the Labor Day holiday and the first day of school for students in Wichita USD 259.
This story was originally published August 18, 2020 at 7:03 PM.
