Newton County was one of seven counties in east central Mississippi named as regions for high risk of coronavirus transmission in executive order 1483 signed Tuesday afternoon by Gov. Tate Reeves.
The order mandates social distancing of at least 6-feet and requires employees, customers and the general public wear masks when shopping, conducting business and attending public events such as live auctions or flea markets in places a 6-foot distance cannot be maintained.
While the order went into effect immediately, Newton County EMA director Robbie Richardson said Wednesday he was still trying to map out exactly how Newton County can comply with the governor’s rules.
“I don’t really know yet what it will look like,” he said. “I think it’s a good thing on one hand, but on the other hand people are kind of tired of getting pushed around.”
Another challenge, Richardson said, is the availability of masks. Newton County has received some masks from Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, he said, but it is not enough for everyone.
On Thursday, Newton County received 6,600 masks from MSEMA, which were distributed to residents on a first-come-first serve basis. Richardson said the shipment was extremely helpful but would not be enough to supply each of the county’s 23,000 residents.
With a global demand for Personal Protective Equipment, masks, along with other protective gear, have been in short supply and prices have increased dramatically. Richardson said Mississippi’s mask supply being tightly controlled.
“Right now, it’s hard to find them,” he said. “Everybody can’t afford masks, and for the public, they don’t really have a way to order them.”
Additional masks were made available throughout the county Monday at fire departments throughout the county. The masks, provided by La-Z-Boy, were a cooperative effort between the Newton County Sheriff’s Department, Emergency Management and local elected officials.
Although the new restrictions are in place until May 25, Richardson said how successful Newton County is in eradicating the virus is going to depend on the people. He urged residents to practice social distancing, wash their hands regularly and obey the guidelines set out in executive order 1483.
“Use common sense,” he said. “Don’t go out if you don’t have to. Don’t go out if you don’t feel comfortable. Practice social distancing and wash your hands.”
