Dear Citizens of Natchez,
Re: The City of Natchez “Back to Business” Program
Thank you for your courage, your patience, and your selflessness during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. It is not over. Prayerfully, I present to you the City’s new “Back to Business” program, which is designed to initiate the careful and responsible reopening of certain categories of business over the next few weeks while taking into account the reality of the COVID-19 crisis here in our community.
During the critical weeks ahead, I call on each and every one of us to stay the course as outlined in this program. We must work together with trust, respect, and determination to do the best we can for ourselves and each other.
If you are a business that intends to reopen under this Order, you must follow the guidelines contained in the Order. We have provided two posters for you to prominently display at your entrance, your check-out counter, and key places throughout your business.
Please understand that the success of this program depends on you, your customers, and everyone’s personal choices. Please, as outlined in our guidelines, everyone is required to wear a mask when entering a business. Please, always sanitize and wash your hands; don’t congregate in groups greater than 10 for any reason; and maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet from others in public at all times. Please understand that this virus is extremely contagious. We could easily cause a spike in infections and deaths in our community by not taking the risks and the precautions seriously.
Before we can truly move forward with any degree of confidence, our community must first demonstrate 14 consecutive days of decreasing metrics (new cases, hospitalizations, deaths, etc.). Natchez-Adams County has not achieved that benchmark, which means we are still in our “curve.” We are not in a safety zone. In fact, Adams County has one of the higher infection rates in the State of Mississippi; therefore, as we take these measured steps toward reopening our economy, I urge you to do everything you can do to keep yourself, your family, your friends, and your entire community safe.
May God bless us all,
Darryl V. Grennell Mayor, City of Natchez
City of Natchez’s “Back to Business” Order
– Adopted Thursday, April 30
– Effective Friday, May 1 through May 31.
Synopsis:
– Adopts and expands Governor Reeve’s “Safer at Home” Executive Order No. 1477.
– Encourages city residents to “Stay at Home” when not engaged in Essential Activities.
– Requires Social Distancing (6 ft minimum) in public at all times.
– Prohibits gatherings of more than 10 people.
– Reinforces the need for vulnerable individuals to shelter in place.
– Allows for limited reopening of some nonessential businesses, nonprofits, retailers, and healthcare services.
– Incorporates minimum safety guidelines for re-opening businesses.
– Extends the local effectiveness of the Governor’s Order through May 31.
Under this Order, you may leave your home for Essential Activities or Essential Travel related to:
• Health or Safety of family, household members, or pets.
• Food, Services, Supplies needed to operate your home, or help others who cannot leave home.
• Exercise: Individual (not group) outdoor exercise, activity and recreation.
• Employment: operating your business or performing job duties.
• Essential Travel relates to food, work, health, care for others, education, law enforcement.
Please follow the rules. They are for everyone’s safety.
• Stay at Home when not engaged in Essential Activities or Essential Travel as defined in the Order.
• Maintain Social Distance of 6 ft minimum in public.
• Avoid Gatherings of more than 10 people.
• Shelter in Place guidelines apply to all vulnerable individuals, including those who are elderly (over 65), or who suffer from high blood pressure, chronic lung disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma, or autoimmune disorders or are immuno-compromised because of chemotherapy for cancer or other condition
. • Cancel or reschedule all public and private social or nonessential gatherings in groups of more than 10 people.
• Suspend Residential Evictions, although the obligation to pay rent or mortgage remains.
• Work from Home: All businesses and nonprofits should utilize work from home or other telework procedures to the maximum extent possible.
• Common Areas where employees or customers might gather shall be closed or strict social distancing protocols enforced (no more than 10 people, 6 ft apart).
050120 “Back to Business” Program Synopsis 2
OPEN: Certain Nonessential Businesses, Nonprofits, and Retailers may open
• If you are a business that intends to reopen pursuant to the City’s “Back to Business” Program, you must follow the guidelines contained in the Order.
• We have provided two posters for you to prominently display at your entrance, your check-out counter, and key places throughout your business.
• You may open in a limited capacity pursuant to all the guidelines contained in the Order and summarized above.
• You must follow the specific minimum safety protocols outlined below and in the attached posters:
1. Keeping People Safe
• We make sick employees stay at home.
• We require employees and customers to wear masks or coverings over mouth and nose.
• We provide in-store hand-sanitizing stations at the store entry and check-out counter.
• We require employees to sanitize hands between each customer interaction and to wash hands with soap and water multiple times a day.
• We train our employees on the CDC’s health and safety standards for preventing the spread of coronavirus. See CDC Flyer “COVID-10 Stop the Spread of Germs.”
2. Securing a Healthy Environment
• We frequent deep clean and disinfect our business.
• We surface clean the check-out counter and high-touch surfaces between each customer and frequently throughout the day.
• We limit the number of people inside our business to 50% of approved occupancy with 6-feet or more between each person.
• We maximize ventilation by leaving doors and/or windows open when possible.
• We encourage employees and customers to report safety concerns.
3. Creating a Flexible Workplace
• We accommodate employees who are sick or have sick family members
• We encourage employees to work from home when possible.
• We provide curbside service when requested
• We encourage people to shop by phone or use our online services.
OPEN but limited to Drive -Thru, Curbside, Delivery
• Restaurants and Bars are limited to drive-thru, curbside, and/or delivery services.
• Salons, barber shops, spas, massage parlors, tattoo parlors, and all personal care and grooming facilities remain closed to the public, but may operate drive-thru, curbside and/or delivery retail sales.
OPEN: Healthcare, Courts, and Elections
• Healthcare professionals may resume performing nonemergent elective procedures, following the guidelines of the Mississippi State Department of Health.
• Court System: All State Courts are open
. • Municipal Elections: The Primary Election will take place on Tuesday, June 2, 2020.
CLOSED: Until further notice
• All places of amusement and recreation, indoors or outdoors
• Museums, house museums, convention facilities, group tour operators
• Daycares, playgrounds and children’s party play facilities
• With exceptions, all parks including beaches, lakes, reservoirs (walking trails are open)
• Movie theaters, bowling alleys, and clubs
• Fitness and exercise gyms, dance studios
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