Cass County announces plans for May 4 reopening
By Kathy Feist
Cass County announced Tuesday that businesses will be reopen following the completion of Cass County’s Stay at Home Order on May 3rd.
The county will be adopting and implementing the guidance from the State of Missouri’s Show-Me Strong Recovery Order. Some jurisdictions within the County may be adopting their own COVID-19 orders that may be stricter than the County’s Order.
Per Governor Parson’s order, effective 12:00 a.m. May 4, 2020 through 11:59 p.m. May 31, 2020:
- All individuals should continue to follow CDC guidelines for social distancing (maintaining 6 feet of space between individuals) whenever possible
- Job duties that require close contact with others should take precautionary measures to mitigate the risks of contracting or spreading COVID-19
- Visitors to nursing homes, long-term care facilities, retirement homes, or assisted living homes will continue to be prohibited unless it is to provide critical assistance or in end-of-life circumstances
- All retail establishments will be required to limit the number of individuals allowed inside
- For establishments less than 10,000 square feet: 25% or less of the fire or building code occupancy
- For establishments 10,000 square feet or more: 10% or less of the fire or building code occupancy
- Schools shall remain closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year
- Restaurants may begin offering dine-in services provided that social distancing measures are maintained. Drive-through, pick-up, and delivery options continue to be encouraged
Sarah Czech, Health Educator with the Cass County Health Department says the decision to open was based on projections from the IMHE model, which showed the number of coronovirus cases having peaked in Cass County on April 13. “We have to keep in our plan a one week incubation period after the peak,” explains Czech. The May 4 date will have included a two-week incubation period.
Cass County has had 61 confirmed cases of the virus (.06% of the population) and six deaths. There have been 10 cases reported in Belton and 10 in Raymore. Czech says they will be monitoring hospitals and data for possibility of a surge.
Sherry Siscoe, owner of Sneads BBQ on 171st & Holmes Rd in Belton, says they plan to err on the side of caution. “We want people to feel safe,” she says. They will employ the proper social distancing and sanitizing guidelines issued for restaurants.
Siscoe expects the restaurant will have to take reservations for the first time since it opened in 1956. With that will come the responsibility of effectively moving diners in and out.
“We are just going to take it one day at a time,” she says. “But it’s nice to get back on track.”
Governor Parson’s Show-Me Strong Recovery Order and frequently asked questions can be found at https://governor.mo.gov/show-me-strong-recovery-plan-guidance-and-frequently-asked-questions.