The Promenade, other retail opening in D’Iberville after Reeves order. What to expect
Following Gov. Tate Reeves’ order to reopen retail stores at 50 percent of their usual capacity, the D’Iberville City Council voted late Friday afternoon to open up shops at 8 a.m. on Monday amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The council’s actions will open doors to shops at The Promenade and other retailers in the city. The local decision coincides with the start of Reeves’ “safer at home” order that will go into effect for two weeks beginning Monday.
D’Iberville’s 11 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew was also lifted with Friday’s vote.
Under Reeves’ new order, restaurants will continue to be limited to drive-through, curbside pickup or delivery.
D’Iberville City Manager Clay Hall said Friday in a virtual meeting of the council that officials will watch businesses closely to make sure that the 50 percent capacity request is followed.
“We’ve communicated this to retail stores,” he said. “We’ll watch the stats. We’ll make sure we don’t have any unsafe situations and that stores are adhering.
“We’ll keep a close eye on it. We’ll go tighter if we have to. I’m confident retailers will adhere to the guidelines.”
In addition to limiting the number of customers to 50% of store capacity, Reeves asks retailers to ensure that social distancing protocols, where people are separated by 6 feet, are followed.
- Stores should perform frequent cleaning of high-contact surfaces like retail counters, door handles and credit card machines.
- Stores should make hand sanitizer available for customers as they enter to shop.
- Employees are encouraged to wear masks at work.
- Common areas where employees gather should be closed or social distancing guidelines should be enforced.
The new order also asks that employees who are considered to be in the vulnerable population, which includes the elderly and people with compromised immune systems, should be granted special accommodations to avoid exposure to COVID-19.
Business are expected to screen employees for COVID-19 symptoms before beginning a shift.
The Sun Herald has reached out to Gulfport Premium Outlets and Edgewater Mall about their plans for reopening.
Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes said Friday that retail stores will also open on Monday in his city, but capacity will be limited to 20 percent in those businesses.
This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 5:37 PM.
