Natchez-Adams County mandates masks in all public places

NATCHEZ, Miss. – The city and county boards today imposed a face-covering mandate for people in Natchez-Adams County as the coronavirus’ infection rate rises to alarming levels.

“This is real serious. We’re going in the wrong direction,” Adams County board President Ricky Gray said in response to reports showing a 16 percent increase of COVID-19 cases in Natchez-Adams County within seven days.

Gray and other Adams County supervisors met today with Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell and city aldermen to adopt measures requiring people to wear masks in public places — or face fines if they don’t. People caught maskless by police 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.

People must wear some type of covering over their mouth and nose “inside and outside of public places where person-to-person contact occurs,” said Adams County Emergency Management Director Brad Bradford.

This includes all businesses and outside public gatherings. This mask-wearing mandate – which reimposes the one the city had that expired a month ago — was adopted as the July 4 weekend begins and the annual Natchez-Vidalia fireworks display takes place Saturday over the Mississippi River..

There are exceptions to the mandate, such as for patrons eating and drinking at restaurants and bars.

While the city and county boards are mandating people wear face coverings in public places, they’re encouraging them to stay home, “unless it is essential to your health, safety and welfare to leave your home.” If people do choose to wander out, they should adhere to social-distancing guidelines and not gather in congregations exceeding 20 people.

Natchez-Adams County has had 280 people confirmed to have been infected by the COVID respiratory disease since March 11, according to the Mississippi Department of Health’s most recent statistics. That’s a 16 percent increase from the 242 reported June 24. While 18 Adams County residents have died from the coronavirus, no recent deaths have been reported.

With the pandemic worsening throughout the United States, Natchez-Adams County is on a growing list of communities requiring face coverings in public – an issue that’s become socially and politically divisive. Natchez Alderman Sarah Carter Smith noted “a lot of people will be happy by this and as many will be frustrated by this.”

Today’s joint meeting of the mayor and two boards was conducted as a teleconference to avoid person-to-person contact. The boards have been meeting separately via telephone and the internet since March, but today was the first joint meeting of the two boards.

The city’s newest “Stay at Home” order is a revised and extended version of what Natchez aldermen initiated March 24 and gradually eased since then to allow businesses to be open with various public-health regulations in place. The order expires July 31 unless revised.