Johnson County businesses tasked with deciding own COVID-19 rules

With the Johnson County commissioners' decision to move from a mask mandate to a mask recommendation, some business owners are breathing a sigh of relief they no longer have to enforce a requirement.

A MAKE MANDACURRENTLY IN PLACE INJOHNSON COUNTY - WILLSOON BE ARECOMMENDATION.TODAY THE COUNTYVOTED TO LOOSEN ITSCOVID-19 HEALTH ORDER.IT STILL ALLOWSBUSINESSES TO REQUIREMASKS IF THEY WISH.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER MCKENZIENELSON EXPLAINS THEIMPACT OF THIS CHANCEON LOCAL BUSINESSES.MCKENZIE NELSON - REPORTINGHERE AT HURRICANEALLIES IN MERRIAM,KANSAS, THERE ARECURRENTLY NORESTRICTIONS REQUIRINGBARS AND RESTAURANLIKE THIS ONE TO TOCLOSE EARLY OR LIMIT THENUMBER OF PEOPLE THEYCAN ALLOW INSIDE, ANDSTARTING SATURDAY -MASKS WILL NOT BEREQUIRED BY GUESTS TOCOME INSIDE.ALLISON HENRY - OWNER OFHURRICANE ALLIES BAR ANDGRILLSWe don't want to sit heand have to tell adults whatthey should be doing.AS THE OWNER OF THBAR AND GRILL -ALLISON HENRY HAS BEENTASKED WITH ENFORCINGCOVID-19 RESTRICTIONSMANDATED BY THECOUNTY.COME SATURDAY - THATREQUIREMENT WILL BELIFTED OFF HER PLATE.ALLISON HENRYSIf people feel morecomfortable wearing a maskthen they can still continue todo that, it's just not going tobe our job anymore to enforceit"THE JOHNSON COUNBOARD OF COUNTYCOMMISSIONERS VOTEDTHURSDAY TO LET THECURRENT PUBLIC HEALTHORDER EXPIRE ON FRIDAY.DANIEL AUSTIN - LIVES INJOHNSON COUNTYSI think it was the rightdecision to end themandate.in a five to one vote thursdayTHE BOARD STRONGLYRECOMMENDED BUSINESSOWNERS FOLLOW THCURRENT CDC GUIDELINESWHICH SUGGEST WEARINMASKS INDOORS ANDMAINTAINING SOCIALDISTANCE.HOWEVER, THE DECISIONIS ULTIMATELY UP TBUSINESSES TO REMOVEOR KEEP COVID-19GUIDELINES IN PLACE.DANIEL AUSTINSI don't go anywhere with amask on and if a businesstells me to put a mask on, theylose my business forever afterall this is over and I will tellallof my friends.AFTER A YEAR OFNAVIGATING CHANGINGUIDELINES ANDMANDATES -THE BOARD'S RESOLUTIONLEFT BUSINESS OWNERSLIKE HENRY - HOPEFULLEADING INTO THESUMMER MONTHS.ALLISON HENRYSI think that everythingheaded in a really gooddirection and trying to get backto a sense of normalcy is justall that we're all lookingfor.WHEN THE BOARDEXTENDED THE ORDERBACK IN MARCH -THEIR GOAL WAS TOREACH A 50 PERCENTVACCINATION RATE IN THECOUNTY AND LESS THAN 5PERCENT POSITIVITY RATEPER 100,000.CURRENT STATISTICSSHOW THE COUNTYREACHING THE PERCENTPOSITIVITY GOAL "HOWEVER, ONLY ABOUT 41PERCENT OF THE COUNTYHAS BEEN VACCINATED.IN JOHNSON COUNT