Open Letter - Mask Wearing
Open Letter to Kansas City’s Business Owners and Leaders
On Mask-wearing Policies
July 1, 2020
Like all of you, we are working hard to find our way forward during the midst of a global pandemic and an economic recession. We are looking for safe and sustainable ways to conduct business, serve our customers and clients, and keep our employees employed.
As the science of the pandemic has evolved, we have learned that one of the most important things we can do as business leaders is to require mask-wearing. Several studies in the last month have shown the effectiveness of public mask-wearing in lowering the rates of transmission. Simultaneously, public health officials in Kansas City tell us that workplace transmission is one of the leading causes of community spread here in the Kansas City region.
Mask-wearing mandates have been implemented in some parts of the KC metro area, but not in all. For the good of our customers, our employees, our fellow residents, and our economy, we cannot allow masks to be politicized. We need to establish consistent, metro-wide, mask-wearing in public to protect all members of our communities.
In the interests of keeping our employees, our customers, and our region as safe as possible, we are calling on our fellow business leaders to put in place firm policies that:
- Require employees to wear masks, indoors whenever 6' spacing cannot be accomplished, and outdoors whenever there is prolonged contact (10+ minutes) within 6'.
- Require customers and clients to wear masks in our stores and facilities;
- Provide high-quality masks to employees, clients, and customers who need them.
Business leaders have a unique role to play in shaping and modeling public behavior. By implementing firm mask requirements in our own businesses, we can each do our part to shape and encourage this new habit.
Wearing a mask is a simple, effective practice we can all adopt. It will make our workplace and our region safer, and it will help to prevent the chance of another economic lockdown. We invite you all to join us as signers and to encourage our fellow business leaders to take this step for public health.
Signed,
|
Mike Adkins David Alvey Deidre Anderson Carlos Antequera Adam Arredondo Tahir Atwater Katherine Hollar Barnard Rita Baslock Brad Batz Kimberly Beatty Angela Bedell Allison Berey Bill Berkley Angie Blumel Ken Borum Matt Bramlette Leanne Breiby Pete Browne Faruk Capan John G Carneu Jeff Carson Mark E. Eveans, CFA Karin Chang Kemet Coleman Lauren Conaway Matthew Condon Rita M. Cortes Fred Coulson Tim Cowden Dominique Davison AIA Aaron Deacon Andy Deister Julie Donelon Karrie Duke Linda Eanes Ed Eilert Mike English Mike Van Epp Mary Esselman Tom Esselman Melinda L. Estes, MD Becky Fast John Fein Dan Fromm Colby Garrelts Alexandra Garrick Cameron Garrison Robert Garrison Vincent P. Gauthier Bill Gautreaux Martha Gershun Chris Giuliani Joel Goldberg Don Goldman J. Brett Gordon Tami Greenberg Wendy Guillies Nathaniel Hagedorn Dr. Marc Hahn Tammy Ham Janeé Hanzlick Stephen Hardy |
Keith Harrington Earl Harrison Jr Melissa Patterson Hazley Michael Helmstetter John Herron Marc Hill Isaac Hodges Michael Hoehn Karen Hogan Paul Holewinski Lauren Hoopes Roya R. Hough Darcy Howe Christina Hoxie Sam Huenergardt Jarrod Huntley Rebecca James Erick Jessee Geoff Jolley Brian Jones Jeffrey J. Jones II Mark Jorgenson Jeff King Dale Klose Leigh Anne Taylor Knight Ray Kowalik Julius Lai Gordon Lansford Mark R. Larrabee Chuck & Jennifer Laue Jacob Lindmark Andre Logan Mark Logan Gregg Lombardi Casey Masters Chase McAnulty Martha McCabe Kathryn J McDaniel Stevr McDowell Kevin McGinnis John Mikos Eric Morgenstern Leo Morton Dr. Kevin Mowry Patrick A. Murphy Sarah Murphy Taimoor Nana Kathy Nelson Ronald W Nelson Rick Norden Leigh Nottberg Tyler Nottberg Danny O'Neill Thomas O’Grady Rick Oberdahlhoff Tracey Osborne Oltjen Nate Orr Patrick Ottensmeyer John Owen Gayle Packer Bob Page Roshann Parris |
Tracey Passantino Anurag Patel Torree Pederson Tammy Peterman Michael Poppa Stacie Prosser Joe Reardon Bob Regnier Steve Renz Dennis Ridenour Andy Rieger Laurie Roberts Timothy J. Ross, PE Joshua Rowland Mark Sappington Brad Satterwhite Keely J. Schneider Ryan Sciara Dave Scott Nicholas Segura Brent Shafer Neal Sharma Gerald Shechter Andrew D. Siebert Jeff Simon Scott Slabotsky Amy Slattery Jim Sluyter Rich Smith Stephenie Smith, MSW Anne St. Peter John P. Stacy John D. Starr Brent Stewart Mike Stradinger Erin Stucky Patrick Stueve Awais Sufi Dawn Taylor Paul Thomas Qiana Thomason Terry Trafton Timothy W. Triplett Tucker Trotter Angelo Trozzolo Sherry Turner Sheryl Wagner Elizabeth MacLeod Walls David Warm Caitlin Waters Justin Watkins Carolyn Watley Hillary Weber Eileen Weir Joy Wheeler Ethan Whitehill Debbie Wilkerson Robin Winner Chris Wood L. William Zahner Pedro Zamora |
SIGN THE LETTER
Supporting Research
Goldman Sachs analysts find national mask mandate would save $1 trillion dollars