Kansas City Royals lift face mask requirement at Kauffman Stadium

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals said Thursday they are lifting their face mask requirement at Kauffman Stadium.

The team said fully vaccinated fans can ditch their masks if they choose now that the team has lifted its restrictions. Masks are recommended, but not required, for non-vaccinated fans.

All Royals staff will continue to wear masks inside the stadium, the club said Thursday.

The Royals announcement came shortly after updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC now states that fully vaccinated people can stop wearing masks in most indoor spaces. Masks are still recommended in crowded enclosures, like public transit, or health care settings.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas was quick to react, stating Thursday that the city’s mask mandate would end at noon on Friday. There have been mask orders in place in the Kansas City area for the past 14 months.

Several other surrounding cities and counties followed suit on Friday, including Jackson County, Clay County and more. Johnson County already ditched its mask mandate in late April.

Sporting KC already ditched their mask requirement. In a statement on May 11, the soccer club said it would be returning to full capacity. Though masks wouldn’t be required, they were still “strongly encouraged,” and there would still be a mandatory mask zone for people who prefer them.