Beginning on Monday, all Mississippi businesses that remain closed will be able to reopen under a new ‘Safe Return’ order issued by Governor Tate Reeves.
Effective June 1st at 8 a.m. the order will take the place of Mississippi’s current ‘Safer-at-Home’ order and will enact updated social distancing guidelines for Mississippians, businesses, healthcare professionals, and indoor and outdoor recreation.
“We are facing two ongoing emergencies. One is the public health crisis that we have been up here every day to talk about. That threat is real, dangerous, and deadly. It is here, and we must face it,” Governor Reeves said. “We also face an economic crisis in this country, the likes of which we have not seen since the great depression. While we have never seen a spike of serious cases in Mississippi, we have seen economic catastrophe. We have to address both.”
Under the new order, schools will be able to reopen for summer programs and special education evaluations, healthcare facilities will be able to perform elective surgeries, and limits on indoor & outdoor gatherings have been expanded.
The new order will be in effect through Monday, June 15 at 8:00 a.m.
Governor Reeves also issued another executive order to begin safely reopening ballparks, movie theaters, libraries, and museums on June 1st. These places of recreation and entertainment will also be ordered to implement protocols to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Governor Reeves announced his new executive orders at his daily press briefing today, which you can view below.
A news release from the Governor’s office outlined the guidelines in the Safe Return order:
For Mississippians:
- All those in the vulnerable population are instructed to continue sheltering in place to protect their health.
- This includes all elderly individuals (age 65 or older per CDC guidelines) and individuals with serious underlying health conditions, including high blood pressure, chronic lung disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma, and those whose immune systems are compromised as such by chemotherapy for cancer or any other condition requiring such therapy.
- For large group gatherings when social distancing is not possible, groups are limited to 20 people or less indoors and 50 people or less outdoors.
- For large groups gatherings when social distancing is possible, groups are limited to 50 people or less indoors and 100 people or less outdoors.
- All travel may resume while minimizing non-essential business travel when possible.
For businesses:
- All businesses and non-profits in Mississippi are allowed to open, following CDC and Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) guidance to limit transmission.
- Businesses and non-profits are encouraged to continue allowing employees to work from home or telework.
- Retail businesses should continue to implement reasonable measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including limiting the number of customers in their stores at one time to no greater than 50% of their store capacity and making hand sanitizer available to customers upon entry.
- Restaurants and bars must continue to follow in-house dining guidelines set in Executive Orders 1478 and 1486. Bars that do not serve food are allowed to reopen, following those same guidelines.
- Restaurants and bars are now allowed to have live music performances, with customers and musicians maintaining at least a 12-foot distance.
- Salons, barbershops, gyms, tattoo parlors, and other personal care facilities must continue to follow guidelines set in Executive Orders 1480 and 1486.
For public and private buildings:
- Public school buildings are allowed to reopen to the public to offer in-person classroom learning, such as summer school programs and special education evaluations.
- Private schools and institutions of higher learning are allowed to reopen their buildings and campuses to the public.
- Reception halls and conference centers are allowed to reopen, limiting to no more than 25% of seating capacity, only holding seated events, and rearranging tables to ensure a 6-foot distance between tables. Any food services must follow the restaurant guidelines under Executive Order 1478.
For healthcare professionals:
- Healthcare professionals and facilities may continue performing elective medical and dental procedures and surgeries as allowed and approved by MSDH. Such non-emergent procedures and surgeries should limit their use of disposable PPE and not request PPE from any public source.
- All patients should be screened for recent illness, travel, fever, or recent exposure to COVID-19. Healthcare professionals and facilities should begin testing all patients prior to procedures or surgeries, if possible.
- No visitors are allowed in the healthcare facility, except for one spouse or caregiver who lives with the patient and only as they are being admitted or discharged.
- For the safety of residents, patients, and staff, visits to hospitals and nursing homes remain prohibited except to visit those receiving imminent end-of-life care, to visit maternity patients, or as otherwise allowed by that healthcare facility.
For outdoor recreation:
- People should follow social distancing and maintain a 6-foot distance from others.
- Executive Order 1473 is amended to allow beaches and sandbars in the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District (PRVWSD) to open, following PRVWSD’s regulations. Beaches and sandbars at state lakes remain closed.
- Recreational boating and fishing and fishing tournaments must continue to follow guidelines set in Executive Orders 1473 and 1486.
- School weight rooms and training facilities must continue to follow guidelines set in Executive Order 1480.
- Outdoor recreational facilities must continue to follow guidelines set in Executive Order 1487.
FOR INDOOR RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
For businesses:
- Indoor places of amusement, including bowling alleys and playgrounds, are allowed to reopen.
- Before they can reopen, indoor places of amusement must be deep-cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized top to bottom. After opening, facilities must be deep-cleaned daily.
- Indoor places of amusement are expected to take every step necessary to comply with the regulations, orders, and guidance from MSDH and CDC to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- Signage must be posted at each entrance stating no customer with a fever or COVID-19 symptoms are allowed in.
- No more than 50% of maximum capacity is allowed.
- Hand sanitizer must be placed at all entrances and throughout the facility.
- All equipment, machines, and games must be rearranged to ensure at least 6 feet between customers.
- Items and equipment used by customers, like bowling balls and trampolines, must be sanitized and disinfected after each use.
- All high-touch areas must be sanitized at least once every two hours.
- Group gatherings, such as birthday parties, are limited to 20 people max.
For employees:
- All employees will be screened daily at the beginning of their shifts, including asking whether they have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 14 days and have they had a fever in the last 48 hours.
- Face coverings must be provided to all employees who come in direct contact with customers. Employees are required to wear that face-covering throughout their shift and clean or replace daily.
- All employees must be provided training on how to limit the spread of COVID-19.
For customers:
- Customers will be screened upon entry.
Under Executive Order 1491, the Governor lays out strict social distancing guidelines to allow ballparks, movie theaters, and more to safely reopen, including:
YOUTH SPORTS
Team practices:
- Before practices can resume, league organizers or coaches must provide a copy of Executive Order 1491 to all players and their parents or guardians.
- Each player must be screened by a coach before entering the field for practice, including asking whether they have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 14 days and have they had a fever in the last 48 hours.
- Players and their parents or guardians must report any COVID-19 symptoms to a coach. Any player that exhibits symptoms will be sent home immediately.
- Park personnel, volunteers, and coaches should ensure social distancing is maintained between players as much as possible.
- Players and coaches must sanitize their hands before entering the field and after practice.
- Dugouts are closed during practice. Players’ bags and equipment must be spaced 6 feet apart.
- Parents and guardians must remain in their cars during practice.
- Players should use their own equipment. Shared equipment must be sanitized by a coach before and after each practice.
- Players must bring their own drinks and snacks. No shared drinking fountains, coolers, or snacks are allowed.
Team games—for leagues and coaches:
- Before organized games can resume, tournament or league organizers or coaches must provide a copy of Executive Order 1491 to all teams, each player, and each parent or guardian.
- No more than 100 people are allowed at the games, including players, coaches, and fans.
- Coaches should ensure social distancing is maintained between players as much as possible.
- Dugouts may be used during the game with players following social distancing. Teams must sanitize the dugouts after the game.
- Players and coaches must sanitize their hands before entering the field and after each game.
- To ensure social distancing, coaches and tournament organizers are encouraged to implement ways other than handshakes and high fives to show good sportsmanship following a game.
- Signs must be posted at each entrance mandating 6-foot separation between fans from different households.
Team games—for players:
- Each player must be screened by a coach before entering the field, including asking whether they have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 14 days and have they had a fever in the last 48 hours.
- Players and their parents or guardians must report any COVID-19 symptoms to a coach. Any player that exhibits symptoms will be sent home immediately.
- Players and coaches must sanitize their hands before entering the field and after each game.
- Players should use their own equipment. Shared equipment must be sanitized by a coach before and after each game.
- Players must bring their own drinks and snacks. No shared drinking fountains, coolers, or snacks are allowed. Concessions stands remain closed.
Team games—for fans:
- Fan and players must leave the field immediately after the game and return to their cars. Fans for following games must remain in their cars until teams and fans from the previous game have left.
- Fans are encouraged to wear face coverings, such as a cloth mask, while at the game.
- Fans must bring their own chairs. Bleachers are closed to fans.
- Fan attendance is limited to two household members per player.
MOVIE THEATERS
For businesses:
- Before they can reopen, theaters must be deep-cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized top to bottom. After opening, theater auditoriums must be cleaned and disinfected between shows.
- All theaters are expected to take every step necessary to comply with the regulations, orders, and guidance from MSDH and CDC to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- Theaters must ensure that the ventilation system is working properly.
- Minimizing person-to-person contact through technology, like mobile or online ticket sales and contactless payment, is encouraged.
- Signage must be posted at each entrance stating no customer with a fever or COVID-19 symptoms are allowed in.
- Showtimes must be staggered to allow ample time for staff to clean and disinfect between shows and prevent customers from congregating in lobbies.
- Ticket sales are limited to 50% of seating capacity.
- Social distancing in waiting lines must be followed.
- All high-touch areas must be sanitized at least once every two hours.
- Hand sanitizer must be placed at all entrances and in concession areas.
- Theaters are encouraged to develop new procedures for concessions to minimize person-to-person contact, such as grab-n-go and single-use utensils.
For employees:
- All employees will be screened daily at the beginning of their shifts, including asking whether they have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 14 days and have they had a fever in the last 48 hours.
- All employees must be provided training on how to limit the spread of COVID-19.
- Face coverings must be provided to all employees who come in direct contact with customers. Employees are required to wear that face-covering throughout their shift and clean or replace daily.
For customers:
- Customers are encouraged to wear a face covering, such as a cloth mask, while inside.
LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS
For facilities:
- Before they can reopen, facilities must be deep-cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized top to bottom.
- All libraries and museums are expected to take every step necessary to comply with the regulations, orders, and guidance from MSDH and CDC to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- No more than 50% of maximum capacity.
- Social distancing must be followed through the facility.
- Tables must be rearranged to ensure at least 6 feet between tables. Seating at each table is limited to 6 people.
- All high-touch areas must be sanitized at least once every two hours.
- Hand sanitizer must be placed at all entrances and in concession areas.
- Group tours and activities are limited to 20 people max.
- Museum cafes are allowed to resume, following in-house dining guidelines in Executive Order 1478.
For employees:
- All employees will be screened daily at the beginning of their shifts, including asking whether they have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 14 days and have they had a fever in the last 48 hours.
- All employees must be provided training on how to limit the spread of COVID-19.
- Face coverings must be provided to all employees who come in direct contact with customers. Employees are encouraged to wear face shields while tattooing a customer.
- Minimizing person-to-person contact through technology, like mobile or online ticket sales and contactless payment, is encouraged.
- Signage must be posted at each entrance stating no customer with a fever or COVID-19 symptoms are allowed in.
For customers:
- Customers are encouraged to wear a face covering, such as a cloth mask, while inside.
