Over the next week, Governor Laura Kelly’s administration and Republican legislative leaders could formulate a new plan for an updated COVID-19 mitigation plan.
Mask use would be just a part of the plan, according to Senate Vice President and 17th District Senator Jeff Longbine of Emporia.
Longbine says a mask mandate may be effective but may well meet with “reluctance” and compliance issues.
Longbine says Tuesday’s discussions between the governor and top Republicans were congenial and productive as all at the table recognized the need for changes as well as the resistance many residents have expressed for mandates.
Business policy has been a major issue as the coronavirus pandemic continues. Longbine says Republicans and Governor Kelly have emphatically said they do not want to shut businesses down if at all possible. Longbine says things will improve if people mask up, follow social distancing guidelines, avoid high-risk areas and generally take the virus seriously.
Kansas now has almost 79,000 cases and close to 1,000 deaths. Governor Kelly suggested the meeting last week, saying a mask mandate was needed with the ongoing increase in caseload. The goal is to have a framework, if not a fleshed-out policy, within a week or so.
