Gov. Reeves extends Mississippi’s statewide mask mandate
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves removes his face mask during a COVID-19 press briefing in Jackson, Miss., Wednesday, July 8, 2020. Reeves stressed the need for the public’s personal responsibility of wearing face masks to help stem the spread of the coronavirus during the press briefing where he and others discussed the state’s ongoing strategy to limit transmission. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
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JACKSON, Miss. (NewsNation/WJTV) – Gov. Tate Reeves announced that he is extending the social distancing measures under the Mississippi Safe Return order, including the statewide mask mandate, and issuing crowd-size limitations on K-12 extracurricular activities to stop the spread of COVID-19.
The governor has extended the social distancing measures an additional two weeks until Monday, Aug. 31 at 8:00 a.m. Reeves is also amending the Safe Return order, placing an attendance cap on all K-12 extracurricular activities, such as football and band concerts, to no more than two spectators per participant. Each extracurricular event must have a dedicated Safety Officer to ensure all social distancing measures are followed as well.
“Sports and these other activities are instrumental in the lives of our young Mississippians. They teach discipline and responsibility in a way that can’t be replicated,” said Reeves at his press briefing on Friday.
“That said, we are living through a pandemic. One of my greatest concerns heading into this school season has been sports and those other events which cause the community to come out in crowds. Twenty-two players on a field is not going to overwhelm a local hospital. Two thousand people in a small school’s bleachers might.”
Signed versions of all of Gov. Reeves’ executive orders related to COVID-19 can be found here.
