As of February 1, the Kansas City Metro's COVID risk level is: Low.

Questions that may help you make a decision about whether to wear a mask include:

• What is your COVID-19 Community Level?
  
  
• What health risks do you and your family members have?  For example, are you or anyone in your family an older adult or have an underlying health condition, such as diabetes or heart disease?
  
  
•  Do you have young children in your household who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated?
  
  
• Are you up to date on your vaccinations (fully vaccinated and boosted if eligible)?

The current CDC guidance uses county-based data to determine KC's risk level for COVID transmission. 
Every week, they will analyze three data items:

• New hospital admissions over seven days 
• Percent of staffed hospital beds occupied by COVID patients over seven days 
• Number of new COVID cases over seven days (Less than or greater than 200 new cases per 100,000 people.)

The Kansas City Health Department's Office of Population Health Science analyzes these same data to identify community risk to specific Kansas City residents.
In conversations with the CDC, both acknowledge that Kansas City-specific data will sometimes produce different results than the CDC's formula. Our health scientists will use Kansas City-specific calculations & data while the CDC's formula for Kansas City calculates the entire hospital service area that includes outlying counties.

Previous mask guidance was based on case rates and positivity rates, not COVID in hospitals. 

We now have:

• Widespread population immunity
• More tools than ever before to fight COVID

What if we see another surge and other COVID variants?

We need to be flexible, relaxing our layers of prevention when cases and hospitalizations are low and dial them back up when high- CDC Director Rochelle Walensky. 

What counts as close contact?

Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for those without symptoms, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.

Quarantine or isolation: What's the difference?

Quarantine keeps someone who might have been exposed to the virus away from others.

Isolation keeps someone who is infected with the virus away from others, even in their home.

Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. Quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms. People in quarantine should stay home, separate themselves from others, monitor their health, and follow directions from their state or local health department.

Specific Guidance for K-12 Schools 

The City of Kansas City, MO Health Department (KCHD) provides science-based and peer reviewed guidance on COVID-19 prevention and mitigation strategies to protect the citizens of Kansas City, MO.  KCHD believes that students benefit from in-person school instruction. Keeping students in the in-person classroom environment is a priority.  To best protect staff and students, multi-layered prevention strategies continue to best protect against transmission of COVID-19 within the school setting and other school-based activities.  KCHD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MO-DESE) have issued extensive guidance for schools in regard to isolation and quarantine for disease containment.

We further recognize that every school district faces unique situations specific to the number of students served, number of buildings in the district, and the availability of transportation and feeding mechanisms.  There is no one standard plan that will fit the needs of every district.  Each school district whether public or private must develop and maintain its own plan that meets the needs of its faculty, staff, parents, and students.  Local public health departments stand ready to assist in this planning, but we are not here to dictate how to provide educational services. 

MO-DESE’s latest guidance can be found on the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website under Missouri School Operating Guidance. CDC have issued guidance for K-12 schools, Colleges, universities & other institutions of higher learning, and early education and childcare programs.