The City of Newton will continue its curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly and other COVID-19 prevention orders until May 18.
The previous extension went through May 5, but after meeting with department heads including Police Chief Randy Patrick and Fire Chief J.C. Collins, Mayor Murray Weems decided to extend the curfew to help prevent additional unnecessary travel in the overnight hours.
“I just feel like if we can help keep down traffic in the overnight hours, it will help contain the spread of the coronavirus,” Weems said Friday. “After talking with the police chief and others, we felt like it was best to extend the curfew.”
The action also includes a ban on public gatherings of more than 10 people. Graveside services will be the only public gatherings allowed as long as safe social distancing is practiced.
As of Thursday at 6 p.m., Newton County had 87 confirmed coronavirus cases. There were only 15 reported cases as of April 16.
In a press conference with Gov. Tate Reeves Thursday, State Health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs named Newton County among four counties in east central Mississippi he said were responsible for 20 percent of the new cases discovered last week.
