Covid restrictions for Cowley County District Court, in the state’s 19th Judicial Dist., have been relaxed.
Last week, Chief Judge Nick St. Peter announced that masks will no longer be required in public areas and visitors will not be asked if they have been vaccinated. The Kansas Supreme Court office of administration recently informed individual districts that statewide Covid restrictions were being relaxed.
Thus, decisions on masks and other restrictions would be left to chief judges, in Cowley County that is St. Peter.
He cited decreasing Covid cases in the county and the relaxing of CDC guidelines as his reasons for removing restrictions.
“So if you come up to district court you will not be required to wear a mask,” St. Peter said in a video message.
Individual judges can require masks in their courtroom, St. Peter said, but none have said they will. St. Peter, Chris Smith and LaDonna Lanning are the county’s three judges.
Anyone is still welcome to wear a mask should they make the personal choice to do so, St. Peter said.