WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Sedgwick County is loosening restrictions on bars, restaurants, and stores, and pretty soon masks may not be mandated. The discussion on masks has always been a divided one.
“I feel like people do not take it seriously anyways so the masks are needed,” said Arica Everlein.
“I think the sooner we get back to normal, and the sooner we put this behind us the better,” added Josh Mirel.
Some are still for them.
“Being safe is better than being sorry,” said Everlein.
Some are ready to see them gone.
“Lifting the mask mandate is a good decision at this point,” Mirel said.
This week, Sedgwick County Commissioner David Dennis said the discussion may be over, and the requirement to wear a mask too.
“Probably after Wednesday, I would say there is a good chance that there will not be a health order unless the order says strongly recommend that would be probably the only thing we could do at this point,” said Dennis.
He and Commissioner Jim Howell said it may not even be entirely up to them as Governor Laura Kelly has in front of her Senate Bill 40, which if signed into law would rescind the current order put in place by the county health officer.
“I do not think we are even going to have the choice,” said Dennis.
Both commissioners said they could try to make a new health order but believe it would make it easier for people to file a lawsuit if they feel aggrieved by the health order.
“The bar is so low, anybody can be an aggrieved person. We could have thousands of these court cases, and we can not respond to thousands of court cases,” Dennis said.
The board of health will meet Wednesday to decide whether to keep mandating masks or strongly recommend them. At least one commissioner tells me they may remove the order before Senate Bill 40 is signed.
