Tate Reeves issues shelter-in-place order for Mississippi over coronavirus pandemic
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves issued a shelter-in-place order for the entire state on Wednesday as new COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to mount in the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The declaration will go into effect at 5 p.m. on Friday and last until 8 a.m. on April 20.
“Every day, for the last several weeks, I have asked our health experts whether it is time for the ultimate action of a shelter-in-place order statewide,” Reeves said. “Yesterday, for the first time, we got the answer we had been anticipating. They told me we are now at the point in Mississippi’s cycle where such drastic restrictions are required. Today is the day. We are announcing a shelter-in-place order.”
Reeves’ new order places new limitations on public gatherings, including the closing of all public parks and beaches.
“Our goal is to prevent our health care system from being overwhelmed,” he said. “I pray that all of our orders and preparations will be enough. We believe that this is the right tool at the right time to save lives.”
Other rules put in place under the executive order are:
▪ People are asked to stay home. One exception is a situation where someone’s home is unsafe and people are asked to find an alternate location.
▪ When outside, people must follow social distancing by maintaining a 6-foot distance from others and avoid groups of 10 or more.
▪ Evictions are suspended, though people are still required to pay any rent or mortgage payments.
▪ All nonessential businesses are to stop all activities other than those necessary for minimum operations (e.g. payroll, health insurance, security) and enabling employees to work from home.
▪ Social and other non-essential gatherings in groups of more than 10 people must be canceled or rescheduled.
▪ Restaurants and bars may only remain open for drive-up, curbside, and/or delivery service.
▪ People may leave their homes only to perform essential activities, such as caring for someone in the vulnerable population, getting food or necessary supplies, and working for an essential business.
▪ Individual outdoor recreation is encouraged, but not group recreation or activities such as soccer or basketball games.
Reeves was asked if there could be arrests made when police come upon groups of 10 or more people.
“There are definitely law enforcement measures in place that allow arrests to be made,” Reeves said. “But most law enforcement will take the step of going in and breaking it up. The reality is that it would be just easier, much smarter to comply.
“This order will be enforced. It will be taken very, very seriously. It will not be forever. We will get through this and open our state back up as soon as our health experts tell me it is wise.”
Reeves said he wasn’t yet ready to make a call on shutting schools for the rest of the school year. He pointed out that classes are set to resume on April 20 — the same date that the shelter-in-place order is scheduled to end.
“When we get a week or two out and see where the curve is, we’ll make those decisions,” he said.
Reeves was peppered with questions about what qualifies as nonessential business. He mentioned that gyms and clothing stores should be closed, but liquor stores will remain open.
As for those businesses that feel the need to ask if they’re essential, Reeves said, “You’re probably not essential.”
Reeves said that funerals, weddings and church services of 10 or more people, “should not be happening.”
Worried that a call for residents to stay home would further damage the state’s economy, Reeves previously resisted implementing a stay-at-home order.
Reeves had faced criticism from a former MEMA director and some mayors, including Tupelo’s Jason Shelton and Mario King of Moss Point, as he earlier decided against taking restrictive measures similar to those of neighboring Louisiana, which issued a statewide stay-at-home order on March 23.
Reeves’ declaration follows calls this week by mayors of several Coast cities, including Gulfport and Biloxi, for residents to stay at home to mitigate the spread of the virus.
On Wednesday morning, Reeves received a plea from Dr. LouAnn Woodard, the vice chancellor of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, asking him for a shelter-in-place order. She warned that new coronavirus cases would overwhelm the hospital, saying that there’s a need for more hospital beds and ventilators.
“The reality is we are facing an uphill battle as a state. As the CEO of the organization that will bear the brunt of the fallout, I need to speak my mind,” Woodward wrote in the email, according to Mississippi Today. “Without a statewide ‘shelter in place’ starting very soon (which is proving effective elsewhere), our health system will be overwhelmed. The immediate time frame (right now) is our last inflection point in controlling COVID-19 spread in our state.
“In my opinion, (a shelter-in-place order) is the only additional thing we can do right now to decrease the force of the impact. Any and every ventilator and ICU bed we can spare will matter. I couldn’t let another day pass without sharing my perspective. We are worried.”
The Sun Herald will update this story.
This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 3:31 PM.
