Kansas City leaders rescind mask mandate outside of schools

KANSAS CITY, M0. (AP) — The Kansas City City, Missouri, City Council has rescinded its order requiring masks in public places to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The City Council voted 11-2 on Thursday to continue to require masks in school buildings and on school buses through Dec. 2. A mask order for everyone 5 years and older expired Thursday afternoon. Mayor Quinton Lucas said the COVID-19 case numbers for adults have trended down, while numbers for children have gone up. The city health department says nearly 49% of Kansas Citians have been vaccinated. There continue to be mask rules in place for city buildings, federal buildings and the Kansas City International Airport, and private businesses still can choose to require them.