Restaurants and parks in Columbus will be allowed to reopen with restrictions beginning Thursday at 8 a.m. following Gov. Tate Reeves’ executive order Monday, Mayor Robert Smith announced at Tuesday night’s city council meeting.
Starting Thursday, parks in Columbus can reopen from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. for recreational purposes, Smith said, with a maximum of 20 participants outdoors and a six-foot distance in between participants.
However, the city is still prohibiting organized games and practices, he said, after city and county directors of Parks and Recreations departments heard concerns from almost two dozen coaches.
“Most of them said that they just didn’t feel safe at the present time as for the kids being out there practicing,” Smith said.
Restaurants have the option to resume operations every day until 10 p.m. as long as they follow state guidelines in the latest executive order, Smith said. Bars that only offer liquor and live music venues will remain closed.
Reeves’ executive order on Monday allowed restaurants and parks to reopen and set out restrictions for them to follow, including a mandate that restaurant employees wear masks and the businesses operate at no more than 50 percent of the allowed capacity. High-contact areas in restaurants and tabletop items must be deeply sanitized, and customers will be screened upon entering the restaurants. The order will last through Monday, unless Reeves chooses to renew it.
Smith and the city’s newly-formed Restart Columbus Committee made the decision to reopen Columbus restaurants after speaking to several restaurant representatives Tuesday afternoon, including owners of Harveys, Mugshots Grill and Bar and Glenn’s BBQ.
While some restaurant owners are ready to reopen, Smith said, some remain hesitant.
“It was left up to them as to when they decide to open because several of them said they just didn’t feel safe to open up the restaurant at this time,” Smith said.
Violations of the regulations will likely result in strong penalties as the Columbus Police Department announced its plan to strengthen enforcement efforts in the city Tuesday morning. The department has cited Walmart and Lowe’s because of employees who didn’t wear masks properly, Chief Fred Shelton told The Dispatch.
Shelton said he plans to assign additional officers to patrol shifts to check for violations of city ordinances, which could lead to a fine between $300 and $1,000, or up to 90 days in jail.
Ward 6 Councilman Bill Gavin, who sits on the steering committee of Restart Columbus, told The Dispatch reopening the restaurants gradually would help relieve the burden on food suppliers, who are feeling the pressure of a large demand in products such as meat.
“If you all open at the same time and (get) calls for these orders,” he said, “that’s a lot of food.”
Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard said he thinks it’s too soon to reopen businesses, especially when the state has seen upticks in confirmed cases of COVID-19 and deaths. As of Monday evening, the state has seen 342 COVID-19-related deaths and 8,207 confirmed cases, according to Mississippi State Department of Health.
“They have the right to remain closed … until we see these numbers start to go down,” Beard said. “(The numbers) should alert people that this thing is not under control.
“I understand people are looking at it from an economic standpoint,” he added. “But a life is just as important as a dollar.”
Conflict disclosure: Managing Editor Zack Plair took part in editing this article. He is currently involved in legal proceedings with the city of Columbus.
Restart Columbus Steering Committee members
Mayor Robert Smith, Chairman
Chief Operations Officer David Armstrong, Vice Chairman
Jeff Turnage, City Attorney
Amy Bogue, Executive Director of Allegro Clinics
Carla Lowery, Mississippi University for Women
Dr. Rita Felton, Columbus Air Force Base
Kenny Wiegel, Director of Columbus Inspection Department
Glenda Buckhalter Richardson, Community Outreach Director
Fred Shelton, Police Chief
Martin Andrews, Fire Chief
Joe Dillon, Public Information Officer
Cindy Lawrence, Emergency Management Director
Restaurant/Hotel/Bar Subcommittee Members (including some Steering Committee members)
John Bean, Chairman, Eat With Us Group
Jim Hicks, Owner of Mugshots
Wayne Cothran, General Manager of Holiday Inn Express
Jay Patel, Owner of Best Western
Glenn Baldwyn, Owner of Glenn’s BBQ
Deborah Thompson, Owner of Baby Dudes
Henrietta Johnson, Manager at Wendy’s
Amy Bogue, Executive Director of Allegro Clinics
Nancy Carpenter, CEO of Visit Columbus
Glenda Buckhalter, City of Columbus
Carla Lowery, MUW Representative
Dr. Rita Felton, CAFB Representative
Source: City of Columbus
Yue Stella Yu was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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