McDonald’s to keep dining rooms closed in Mississippi as state drops COVID rules
McDonald’s will keep dining rooms in Mississippi closed as the state rolls back COVID-19 precautions, the restaurant chain confirmed to McClatchy News.
The chain says it has no plans to change its safety protocols and that it will continue to follow the advice of health and science experts when it comes to making decisions about reopening.
McDonald’s said it also assesses state and county health data in determining whether it will open or close its dining rooms.
On Tuesday, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed an executive order lifting the statewide mask mandate and allowing businesses and facilities to operate at 100% capacity, with the exception of K-12 schools and indoor venues. The new order went into effect at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
“Our hospitalizations have plummeted, and our case numbers have fallen dramatically as well,” the Republican governor said. “In fact, our case numbers have fallen to the point where no county meets the original criteria for a mask mandate.”
Under the new order, capacity at all indoor arenas will be capped at 50%, while indoor venues for K-12 extracurricular activities will be limited to 25%. There are no capacity restrictions for outdoor arenas at colleges and universities.
“The governor’s office is getting out of the business of telling people what they can and cannot do,” Reeves added.
This story was originally published March 4, 2021 at 3:44 PM.