Fellow Residents:
We were blessed with a glorious day across our region today. I hope many of you were able to walk safely through our City and enjoy the sunshine. As I have noted previously, and it does not minimize the crisis we face, but the beauty of Spring is a wonderful reminder that there is a path forward!
I have said this before, but I want to thank every healthcare professional and first responder engaged in this pandemic on the front lines. I spoke with several this weekend and they are firm in their resolve and doing critical work for our community. If you know someone on the front lines, please thank them!
Four updates for you tonight as the weekend ends:
- The CDC over the weekend updated their guidance regarding the use of cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies):
- Please try to do this when you are in settings such as those described above.
- Also know that this should NOT replace social distancing, but should be used in conjunction.
- For full information, please go here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html
- Governor Parson in Missouri enacted a Stay-at-Home Order on April 3rd lasting three weeks. The restrictions and guidelines of the Missouri Order are substantially the same as that of Kansas, with the exception of the end date.
- I need your help talking to the young people in our City. Many of you have children and young adults home from secondary school or from college. The high school students have a new appreciation for, well, high school. The college students are appropriately frustrated.
- If you have a high school or college student living in your home, please remind them how critical all the guidelines from local health authorities are. I have seen (and heard anecdotally) about young people in our community taking a casual attitude toward this crisis.
- Please take a moment to sit down with them and remind them that:
- They are right, the statistics back them up, and they are extremely unlikely to have severe symptoms (or symptoms at all) and even die from COVID-19.
- Because of the above, they are highly likely to be a carrier and not know it. As a result, they put their parents, grandparents and other members or our community at risk – they don’t want to be this young adult!
- Finally, the State Attorney General has clarified the rules around the Open Meetings Act and we will resume all regularly scheduled meetings in May via phone/online (some of our committees will continue to meet in April virtually as well). Please check the City’s website calendar for dates, times and web/call-in information: http://www.missionhillsks.gov/calendar.aspx.
I am a realistic optimist. Kansas’ trajectory is currently lower than the coasts. As I said earlier in the week, together we can change the ending, and by following the guidelines (and encouraging our children, grandchildren and neighbors to do the same) we will.
As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call City Hall at 913-362-9620 or info@missionhillsks.gov, or email me directly at mayor@missionhillsks.gov.
Be smart. Be healthy. Be safe. Thank you.