ORDINANCE NO. 220111

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Establishing a requirement for face coverings or masks at schools where children in grades K-12 attend class and on school buses with certain exceptions; appropriating $1,000.00 from the Unappropriated Fund Balance of the Health Levy Fund; designating requisitioning authority; and recognizing this ordinance as having an accelerated effective date.

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WHEREAS, on March 12, 2020, a proclamation of a state of emergency was issued to allow the City of Kansas City to take measures to reduce the possibility of exposure to COVID-19 and promote the health and safety of Kansas City residents; and

WHEREAS, COVID-19 spreads between people who are in contact with one another or present in shared spaces and a gathering of individuals without necessary mitigation for the spread of infection will pose a risk of the spread of infectious disease; and

WHEREAS, as of January 6, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control ("CDC") recognizes the Delta variant of COVID-19 as the predominant variant of the virus in the United States. The CDC reports the Delta variant is "highly contagious, more than 2x as contagious as previous variants" and that "the Delta variant might cause more severe illness than previous variants." In light of these facts, the CDC recommends "layered prevention strategies, including wearing masks" to reduce the transmission of the Delta variant; and

WHEREAS, on December 20, 2021, the CDC identified the Omicron variant has having the potential for a rapid increase in COVID-19 infections. The CDC predicts a "steep epidemic trajector[y] that would require expedient public health action to prevent severe impacts on the health of individuals and the healthcare system." Although the CDC reports that Omicron infection may be less severe than previous infection, "given the likely increase in number of infections, the absolute numbers of people with severe outcomes could be substantial;" and

WHEREAS, as...

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