List: What’s canceled, closed, rescheduled in South Mississippi amid coronavirus concerns
Hospitals, schools and businesses in South Mississippi are taking steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus.
All Coast schools are closed until at least April 17 by order of Gov. Tate Reeves. Find the full list of Coast school closures here. Head start centers also are closed
As doctors and federal and state officials recommend social distancing to stop the spread of the virus, all public events are canceled and businesses are telling employees to work from home.
Here are the latest changes on the Coast:
Event cancellations
Coast Coliseum & Convention Center: Concerts and the Crawfish Music Festival have been canceled or postponed. The new dates that have been announced are July 11 for Reba, Sept. 5 for Chris Stapleton, Oct. 6 for KISS and Oct. 16 for MercyMe. The Crawfish Festival may be combined with the Summer Fair in June.
Jackson County Blood Drives on March 24 are postponed until April 7.
Coffee Talk with Biloxi City Council on March 25 is canceled.
Rapiscan Systems Classic golf tournament March 25-27 at Fallen Oak in Saucier is canceled.
Mississippi Coast Council of Garden Clubs has canceled the March 25-28 Spring Pilgrimage tour of garden and homes along the Coast.
Keesler Federal Credit Union postponed its March 26 annual membership meeting until later in the year.
Arts Under the Dome final concert at First United Methodist Church Gulfport, scheduled for Friday, March 27, is canceled. It will be rescheduled during the 2021 season and all tickets will be honored at that time.
D’Iberville Movie Night on the Town Green on March 27 postponed.
Benefit golf tournament and silent auction for Legend Davis on March 27 and 28 at Hickory Hill County Club in Gautier has been postponed.
Shamrockin the Coast fundraiser for St. Patrick’s Catholic High School on March 28 has been canceled. It is rescheduled to Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino.
Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain has canceled its Remember the Past event at the Historic Shaw Homestead in Poplarville on March 28.
Spring Arts Festival in Ocean Springs on March 28-29 is canceled.
Spring Marketplace and Home Show March 28-29 at the Coast Coliseum is canceled.
Gulf Coast Harmonizers have canceled the spring shows on March 28-29.
IP Casino has postponed its March and April shows until further notice. The 38 Special concert is rescheduled for Dec. 18.
Black Beach Weekend and Spring Jam events April 2-5 are canceled.
“The Price is Right Live” show at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino on April 4-5 is rescheduled to Aug. 1-2.
Art in the Pass in Pass Christian on April 4-5 is canceled.
Feed the Need Benefit Concert and Fish Fry on April 19 at Government Street Grocery in Ocean Springs will be rescheduled at a later date.
American Legion Post 42 Golf Tournament on April 25 canceled. All sponsor and ticket receipts will be returned.
Biloxi Recognition of Volunteers Ceremony on April 28 is canceled.
Gulf Coast Winter Classic Horse Show canceled the last 2 weeks at Harrison County Fairgrounds.
Gulf Coast Messiah Chorus spring performances have been canceled.
Additional cancellations and closings can be sent to mynews@sunherald.com.
Other closures, updates
Head Start centers: In Harrison County, Moore Community House, Blanche Saucier, Doyle Moffett and Isiah Fredericks head start centers are closed.
All driver license stations are closed to the public except for the nine MHP District Troop Stations across the state until March 31, at which time a reassessment will be made for reopening. The Troop Stations will only provide the following services: sex offender registry transactions, commercial driver license (CDL) card renewals only – no testing, CDL medical card updates.
Coast casinos are closed.
Bingo games throughout the state are closed until further notice.
Infinity Science Center is closed.
Lynn Meadows Discovery Center is closed.
Ship Island Excursions is closed.
Ocean Springs farmers market is closed.
Movie theaters closed are Biloxi Premiere LUX Cine & Pizza Pub at Edgewater Mall, Cinemark 16 in Gulfport and Grand Theater in D’Iberville.
Margaritaville Resort Biloxi is closed.
Big Play Entertainment Center in Biloxi is closed.
Finishline Performance Karting in Biloxi is closed.
Diamondhead Farmers Market is closed.
Harrison County Easter Egg Hunt and Civitan Special Needs Easter Egg Hunt are canceled.
Humane Society of South Mississippi is continuing adoptions and animal control officers will continue to answer high priority and emergency calls. Owners not facing immediate crisis are asked to hold off surrendering healthy pets for the next 4-6 weeks. Barkin’ Basement is closed until further notice and all departments are limiting the amount of people in the shelter at a time.
Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs is closed. Digital educational experiences for students, families, and the public are available via in-gallery video-conferencing. Schedule a personalize experience at educate@walterandersonmuseum.org.
Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi is closed.
Diocese of Biloxi announced that all daily and Sunday public Masses in the Diocese of Biloxi are temporarily canceled. Churches are open with limited hours for those who wish to pray and seek spiritual assistance. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral will live stream Mass Monday through Saturday at 8 a.m. and on Sunday at 11 a.m. on the Diocese’s YouTube page.
Gulf Coast Business Council is postponing all meetings and events until further notice.
Special Olympics Mississippi has suspended all activities.
Coast Transit Authority has closed its Biloxi and Gulfport transit center. Fare collection is suspended on all fixed routes and demand response services. Fixed route service the Beachcomber and Pass Road RT 34 reduced to 90-minute intervals. Fixed route service should be used for essential travel such as food, healthcare and work. Passengers must not sit in the front of the bus and must maintain social distancing of 6 feet unless traveling together.
Alice Moseley Museum in Bay St. Louis and the Hancock County Tourism Bureau are closed.
Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport: Travelers should contact their airline to check on potential schedule changes.
Mississippi Power has temporarily suspended customer disconnections and will reevaluate the policy and time frame as the situation develops.
Habitat Mississippi Gulf Coast ReStore in Ocean Springs postponed the grand opening of the store indefinitely.
Local, state, federal facilities
Bay St. Louis Municipal Court will be closed through April 10. Those with a court date should call 228-467-9068 to verify if court will be held and to get a new court date. Emergency domestic abuse cases may continue to be filed and heard.
Bay St. Louis ball fields and public restrooms at city recreational facilities are closed. The Community Hall and Old Town Community Center are closed and no reservations are being accepted until they reopen. Public parks are open but CDC guidelines should be followed regarding social distancing, with no more than 10 people in any area.
Biloxi. All athletic events on city playing fields are canceled through April and the Natatorium and Donal Snyder Community Center are closed through April. Summer camp in canceled. City Council meetings are being videoed and public attendance is limited. Architectural Historic Review Committee meetings are postponed.
D’Iberville. City Hall and all city buildings are closed to the public, but city officials are working and can be reached by phone or email. Southern Coastal Federal Credit Union in the front lobby of City Hall will remain open and accessible to customers. City recreational facilities and event venues are closed until further notice. To reschedule or request a refund contact Patty Ewing at 228-392-9734 or pewing@diberville.ms.us. D’Iberville Planning Commission meetings are postponed.
Gautier City Hall, utility department and all parks are closed to the public. All public rental facilities, park pavilions and the Gautier Senior Center, are closed until further notice. Municipal court is canceled for March 23 and March 30. Fines can be paid in the police department lobby. Payments must be exact change and made in cash or money order.
Gulf Islands National Seashore park visitor center and restrooms at the picnic at the picnic pavilions at the Davis Bayou Area are closed. All ranger-led programs and special use permits for activities with 10 or more people are canceled.
Gulfport. City Council meetings will be live-streamed, with meeting access limited to employees and the public with business before the council. All planned gatherings, meetings and sporting events taking place at Gulfport city facilities are canceled through the end of March. Notices are being sent to those with functions planned in April about the likelihood of cancellations as well.
Hancock County public community centers are closed. The county sports complex, county owned fields and parks, piers, restrooms and the arena are closed.
Hancock County Farmers Market is closed.
Harrison County Senior Centers are closed until further notice.
Harrison County: Courthouses in Gulfport and Biloxi are limiting traffic through April 6, with courts, tax offices, and the circuit and chancery clerk’s offices remaining open. All county-owned recreational facilities will be closed to activities for two weeks, the county said Friday. County offices and courts remain open.
Harrison County Veterans Service office is accepting appointments only. Call 228-697-0801 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Every effort will be made to complete most forms over the phone before the veteran or spouse arrives at the office to minimize contact. Details: David.depreo@co.hancock.ms.us.
Harrison County Library System is closed. Fines on physical items will not accumulate during the closures.
Jackson-George Regional Library System is closed. Books should not be dropped off and fines will not accumulate while the libraries are closed.
Jury duty and courtrooms: Most courts are closed.
Keesler Air Force Base is limiting visitor passes to medical needs only. The Meadows gate will close Tuesday. The base is going to a drive-up pharmacy and has added a drive-thru COVID-19 screening at Keesler Medical Center. The golf course is closed, the chapel has gone to online, video and voice only and BX access is limited to military and families only. The base health hotline is 228-376-7132.
Mississippi Public Service Commission voted to temporarily suspended utility disconnections for 60 days for water, sewer, electricity and gas services. That does not mean customers should quit paying their bills, the commission said.
Internet and phone security: Secretary of State Michael Watson said the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency cautions internet users to be wary of emails with malicious attachments or links to fraudulent websites. They warn to be cautious of any email with a COVID-19-related subject line, attachment or hyperlink, and to be wary of social media pleas, texts or calls related to COVID-19.
Open attractions
The following attractions are still open to the public:
Gulf Islands National Seashore. Park beaches and water areas are open. Also open are Petit Bois, West Petit Bois and Horn islands and the NPS-owned portions of Cat Island.
McLeod Park and Buccaneer State Park in Hancock County remain open at this time with limitations on public gatherings.
Mississippi Department of Wildlife & Fisheries says state lakes will be open for fishing, but offices and bath houses will be closed. RV camping will remain open. MDWFP Wildlife Management Areas will remain open.
This story was originally published March 10, 2020 at 3:32 PM.
