Columbus City Council took decisive action Saturday to limit the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus, enacting a general curfew, limiting restaurant operations and social gatherings, and ordering many businesses to close entirely until further notice.
A resolution the council passed in a special-call meeting at noon sets the curfew from 10 p.m.-6 a.m., excepting essential travel by those over 18 years old.
It also limited restaurants to serve customers via takeout, drive-through or delivery only. Bars, nightclubs, meetings of fraternal and civic organizations, child care facilities, bowling alleys, recreational facilities, skating rinks, tattoo parlors, gyms, barbershops, salons, spas, convention centers, community centers and parks were ordered to be closed as of 5 p.m. Saturday.
All assemblages and gatherings inside the city limits — including churches, temples and places of worship — will be restricted to 10 or fewer people as of 5 p.m. Saturday. The council encouraged churches and other gatherings to live-stream or broadcast their meetings electronically rather than meet in large numbers.
“We don’t have another choice,” Mayor Robert Smith said after the council unanimously adopted its resolution enacting the changes. “The worst thing we could do is be negligent and not do anything.”
The council also amended a city ordinance to state that violating one of the regulations adopted in Saturday’s resolution carries a fine of up to $1,000 or up to 90 days in jail. According to the ordinance, each day of any violation constitutes a separate offense.
“The public and business community all have to understand: These are people’s lives,” Ward 6 Councilman Bill Gavin said of the restrictions. “It’s not just something we’re doing off the cuff just to follow suit with other people. … (I)f people don’t adhere to these rules and we do fine them that $1,000, maybe it saves somebody’s life, and heck, that’s more important.”
The council’s resolution came a few hours after the Mississippi Department of Health announced four Lowndes County residents and someone from Clay County had tested positive for COVID-19.
As of Saturday morning, MSDH had recorded 140 positive tests in the state, an increase of 60 over the previous 24 hours. Those cases cover 45 Mississippi counties, with Hinds (14), DeSoto (13) and Harrison (10) counties reporting the most.
So far, only one Mississippian — a resident of Hancock County — has died from the disease as of this report.
Columbus’ resolution comes a day after Starkville aldermen passed similar restrictions for their city.
The council also resolved that all businesses, agencies and units of government in the city with 10 or more employees must follow protocol laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including mandatory social distancing, emphasizing working from home where possible and “taking all such additional measures to prohibit and/or reduce the spread of infectious disease and especially COVID-19.”
Hospitals, nursing homes, health clinics, drug stores, pharmacies, banks, grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, military installations and security and emergency response operations are all exempt from that provision.
City officials said Saturday they may issue other orders as deemed “necessary for the protection of life and liberty,” including directing residents to shelter in place for up to five days.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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