Governor re-issues mask mandate

Citing the growing number of coronavirus cases locally, Gov. Tate Reeves has issued a local order requiring face masks be worn indoors where adequate social distancing is not possible.

The mask mandate, which impacts Harrison County and a host of other counties, will go into effect at 8 a.m. Wednesday and be in effect until Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 8 a.m.

Harrison County, which includes Biloxi, is now seeing an average of 62 new cases a day. Since mid-March, Harrison County has reported a total of 5398 positive tests for the coronavirus and 84 deaths. More recently, Harrison County reported its largest number of daily cases, 148 on Oct. 22. The average number of cases reported each day had dipped to as low as 15 on Sept. 21  but has doubled and tripled since that time.

The governor’s executive order, which excludes those exercising indoors, also says that social gatherings where social distancing is not possible shall be limited to groups of no more than 10 indoors or no more than 50 people outdoors.
See the governor’s executive order from Monday
See the most previous executive order

Video news & notes: Premiere, council TV

Cemetery tour: The Old Biloxi Cemetery Tour, which turns virtual this year, has its world premiere this evening at 7 on BTV. To read background on this year’s tour and to learn more about tonight’s 53-minute program, click here. To watch BTV online now, click here.

Council TV: The Biloxi City Council conducted two meetings today: a morning workshop where the Mississippi Department of Revenue discussed taxation of short-term rentals, and a regularly scheduled afternoon meeting. To see the morning meeting, click here. To see the afternoon meeting, click here.