Reeves lifts curfew on restaurants, bars as MS COVID-19 cases rise after Memorial Day
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves is lifting the curfew on restaurants and bars and easing more business restrictions as coronavirus cases and deaths rise across the state.
After Memorial Day gatherings and large protests, “I’m concerned those numbers are not going to decline anytime soon,” the governor said before announcing a list of restrictions being lifted in his newest executive order.
- Curfews of 10 p.m. for restaurants and bars will be lifted
- Event halls can reopen with up to 50% capacity “provided they do their best” to follow social distancing protocol
- Fitness centers and gyms can move from 25% capacity to 50% capacity
About 500 new coronavirus cases were reported by the Mississippi State Department of Health on Monday, the highest single-day number on record. The six counties in South Mississippi — Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River, Stone and George — together surpassed 1,000 coronavirus cases this week.
Harrison County now has the fastest-growing rate of coronavirus cases in the lower six counties.
South Mississippi residents and visitors crowded Coast beaches over Memorial Day weekend, and some cities held outdoor events like a crawfish cook-off in Ocean Springs that was attended by hundreds of people. Reeves opened beaches and relaxed restaurant restrictions before the holiday weekend but has warned that large gatherings or social events are a bad idea.
Reeves’ announcement comes after after Mississippi has been seeing increasing community spread in certain counties and a spike in people in intensive care units, said state health officer Thomas Dobbs.
It’s also becoming more and more common for young people to go to social events and bring it home to older household members who get sick and die.
“I’m about to say if you’re 65 avoid your grandkids,” Dobbs said.
In one example, someone went to a social event, and 7 of the 8 people in attendance caught COVID-19.
Dobbs also was adamant about clarifying confusion over a World Health Organization official’s statement earlier in the week. He said it was an “absolutely untrue, misleading statement.” Asymptomatic people can transmit the virus, he said, especially when they’ve caught the virus and are not yet showing symptoms but later do show symptoms.
This story was originally published June 10, 2020 at 3:16 PM.
