Sheriff, school board undercut Kansas county’s COVID rules

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — The sheriff and a local school board in Kansas’ most populous county have set COVID-19 policies conflicting with county rules on testing and masks. Johnson County is requiring unvaccinated employees to undergo weekly testing starting Monday, but the sheriff’s department is exempt. The Kansas City Star reports that Sheriff Calvin Hayden is not requiring his nearly 600 employees to abide by the testing policy. Meanwhile, the Spring Hill school board in southern Johnson County is allowing parents to claim an exemption for their children from the county’s mandate to wear masks inside elementary schools. Previously, a health care provider had to sign off on an exemption.