NATCHEZ, Miss. – Adams County’s mask-wearing mandate has been extended for another month as the community’s coronavirus cases continue to rise at what the county emergency management director said is an “alarming” rate.
The Adams County Board of Supervisors voted to stretch the public face-covering requirement to Sept. 8. The Natchez Board of Aldermen last week also extended its own month-old order for the city until August 11, but that will likely be continued when the aldermen meet again.
While urging people Monday to independently take precautions to help quell the virus’ spread, Adams County board President Ricky Gray said supervisors “are going to do everything in our power to keep you safe.”
The Natchez-Adams County mandate requires people to wear some type of covering over their mouth and nose inside and outside of public places where people mingle, such as stores and tourist attractions. There are exceptions to the mandate, such as for patrons eating and drinking in restaurants and bars.
Adams County Emergency Management Director Brad Bradford said Monday there were134 “active” cases of COVID-19 in Natchez-Adams County, where 25 people have died from the respiratory disease since March. The total number of cases in just the past four weeks has increased by more than 100 percent: 280 at the first of July to 584 at the start of August, according to the Mississippi Department of Health’s daily report Monday.
“If the numbers continue to go up, we’re going to have to shut everything down,” said Gray, evoking memories of the city and county boards’ curfews and stay-at-home orders imposed when COVID first flared up this past spring.
In response to how serious the virus plague is, the Natchez-Adams School District board has voted to delay the public schools’ opening another month to Sept. 9, said NASD spokesman Tony Fields. They had been set to begin classes next Monday for the new school year.
“The date change will also allow the district time to reconstruct class rosters and allocate teachers in response to the new virtual learning option that we are providing for students,” Fields said.
It was uncertain Monday if Natchez’ two private schools – Cathedral and Adams County Christian – are also delaying their reopening previously planned for next Monday. Bradford has recommended they not bring students back to classrooms until after Labor Day.
People in Adams County caught by police not wearing face masks in public places as required can be ticketed and fined $50. Businesses allowing customers in without face coverings could be fined $100 and also lose their city business licenses for repeat violations.
Bradford said another distribution of free face masks for the public will be Saturday at the Adams County Safe Room parking lot on Liberty Road near Natchez High School. The drive-through handouts will be 8 a.m. till noon.
At Monday’s meeting of the Adams County Board of Supervisors, Bradford also raised concerns about local business operators allegedly “threatening” to fire employees exposed to the coronavirus and forcing them to work in unsafe conditions. This is in violation of federal labor laws. Bradford said some employees are “scared for their lives,” He suggested county officials stress to businesses what the federal fair-labor laws require in protecting employees.
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