OurTupelo presents a read and searchable copy of Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves’s Executive Order 1478. This order pertains to when and how dining facilities can reopen.

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WHEREAS, on March 14, 2020, pursuant to the Constitution of the State of Mississippi and Miss. Code
Ann. § 33-15-11(b)(17), I issued a Proclamation declaring that a State of Emergency exists in the State of
Mississippi as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, on January 31, 2020, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretary
Alex Azar declared a public health emergency for COVID-19 beginning on January 27, 2020, on March
11, 2020, the World Health Organization characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic, and on March 13, 2020,
the President of the United States declared a nationwide state of emergency due to the coronavirus
COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 and the effects of its extreme risk of person-to-person
transmission throughout the United States and Mississippi significantly impacts the life and health of our
people, as well as the economy of Mississippi; and
WHEREAS, on March 26, 2020, the Mississippi State Department of Health announced new and
expanded measures to increase testing and data analysis to identify regions and localities that are at higher
risk for transmission of COVID-19 and to provide more location-specific restrictions and limitation of
movement and social interaction to combat the virus in those regions and localities; and
WHEREAS, on April 1, 2020, in order to minimize the risk of possible further transmission of COVID19 and related measures, I issued Executive Order No. 1466 instituting a statewide Shelter in Place
effective at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 3, 2020, and remaining in full force and effect until 8:00 a.m. on
Monday, April 20, 2020; and
WHEREAS, on April 17, 2020, I issued Executive Order 1473 extending the statewide Shelter in Place,
with certain additional exceptions, until 8:00 a.m. on Monday, April 27, 2020; and
WHEREAS, consistent with the guidance provided by the White House for beginning the process of reopening the economy while minimizing the risk of a resurgence of COVID-19, the incidences of infection
in Mississippi have stabilized; there is decreased utilization of hospital resources; a robust testing system
is in place capable of promptly detecting any increase in the rate of infection; the healthcare system is
capable of treating persons with the COVID-19 and has the capacity to promptly react to any increase in
incidences; and the State has in place a plan to rapidly scale up healthcare capacity in the event of an
increase in the rate of infection; and
WHEREAS, Mississippi must protect lives while restoring livelihoods, both of which can be achieved
with the expert advice of medical professionals and business leaders; and
WHEREAS, on April 24, 2020, I issued Executive Order 1477 establishing the statewide Safer at Home
allowing certain businesses to open and operate under certain conditions, until 8:00 a.m. on Monday, May
11, 2020; and
WHEREAS, a continued measured and strategic plan to reopen the economy is essential to the health,
safety and well-being of Mississippi residents, and in consultation with the State Health Officer, there are
certain additional business operations and other activities that can safely resume under the limitations set
forth herein.

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NOW, THEREFORE, I, Tate Reeves, Governor of the State of Mississippi, by the authority vested in
me by the Constitution and laws of the State of Mississippi, do hereby order and direct as follows:
I. The statewide Safer at Home instituted in Executive Order 1477 shall remain in full force and
effect until 8:00 a.m. on Monday, May 11, 2020, except as follows:
a. From and after 8:00 a.m. on May 7, 2020, Paragraph I(h)(vii) of Executive Order 1477 is
amended to allow restaurants and bars to resume in-house (indoor or outdoor) dining
subject to the following limitations:
i. Prior to resuming in-house dinning, the entire restaurant and bar, including areas
not open to the public, shall be deep cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized.
ii. Restaurants and bars shall set hours of operations to close to the public no later than
10:00 p.m.
iii. Pursuant to Paragraph I(h)(ii) of Executive Order 1477, restaurants shall take all
reasonable steps to ensure compliance with the Mississippi State Department of
Health’s and CDC’s regulations, orders and guidance to prevent the spread of
COVID-19, including, but not limited to: social distancing; sending sick employees
home; actively encouraging sick employees to stay home; separating and sending
home employees who appear to have respiratory illness symptoms; adopting and
enforcing regular and proper hand-washing and personal hygiene protocols; and
daily screening of employees for COVID-19 related symptoms before beginning
their shifts.
iv. Restaurants and bars shall conduct a daily screening of all employees at the
beginning of their shifts. Such daily screening shall include the following
questions, and any employee answering any question in the affirmative shall be sent
home:

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1. Have you been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the
   past 14 days?
2. Are you experiencing a cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat?
3. Have you had a fever in the last 48 hours?
4. Have you had new loss of taste or smell?
5. Have you had vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours?

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All employees shall be required to report any symptoms of COVID-19 to their
supervisor, and any employee who exhibits any of the symptoms of COVID-19
during their shift shall be sent home immediately and advised to consult with their
physician.

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vi. Appropriate PPE shall be worn by all employees based on their duties and
responsibilities and in adherence to state and local regulations and guidelines.
Every employee who comes into direct contact with customers shall be provided a
cloth mask and required to wear that mask while on duty.
vii. All employees shall be provided training regarding minimizing the spread of
COVID-19, including the importance of frequent hand washing and personal
hygiene, proper sanitation, cough and sneeze etiquette, use of PPE, and safe foodhandling procedures.
viii. Where possible, workstations should be staggered so employees can avoid standing
next to each other. Where separation of workstations is not possible, the frequency
of surface cleaning and sanitizing should be increased.
ix. Break rooms shall be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, and the number of
employees in the break room shall be limited to allow for strict social distancing (a
minimum of six feet between employees and no gathering of more than ten
employees).
x. The number of customers in the restaurant or bar shall be no greater than 50% of
seating capacity.
xi. Floor plans shall be updated to ensure at least six feet of separation between each
party/group whether dining indoor or outdoor. Party sizes shall be limited to a
maximum of six customers per table.
xii. Bars or bar areas that do not offer food services shall remain closed, and live music
shall not be permitted.
xiii. The use of technology solutions to minimize person-to-person contact is
encouraged, including mobile reservations systems, text upon arrival, mobile
ordering, and contactless payment options.
xiv. Signage shall be posted at each entrance stating no customer with a fever or other
symptom of COVID-19 is permitted in the restaurant or bar.
xv. Customers shall be screened for illness upon their entry into the restaurant or bar.
xvi. Customers shall not be allowed to congregate in the waiting area or bar area. The
restaurant shall adopt a process to ensure that a minimum of six feet separation is
maintained between customers while waiting to be seated or in the bar area.

xvii. All front-of-house high contact surfaces shall be sanitized, at a minimum, every
two hours.
xviii. The use of disposable menus is encouraged. All non-disposable menus shall be
sanitized between each use.
xix. Tables, chairs, and tabletop items shall be sanitized after each table turns.

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xx. Buffet Service:
Self-service buffets, food stations, and drink stations are prohibited.
Cafeteria style (worker served) buffets and food stations are permitted with
appropriate barriers in place.

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xxi. Hand sanitizer shall be placed at all points of entry and exit, the hostess station, in
or near the bathrooms, and at the cashier station.
xxii. All food service areas shall be deep cleaned daily.

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From and after 8:00 a.m. on May 7, 2020, Paragraph I(h)(viii) of Executive Order 1477 is
amended to allow parks to open subject to the following limitations:
i. State parks may open to the public between the hours of 9:00 a.m. through 7:00
p.m. for recreational outdoor activities, subject to the rules and guidance
promulgated by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.
Pursuant to Paragraph I(b)(iii) of Executive Order 1477, individuals using state
parks shall maintain social distancing of a minimum of six feet separation between
each individual. Group gatherings/activities shall be limited to a maximum of 10
participants indoor and a maximum of 20 participants outdoor.
ii. Municipal parks and private parks may open to the public between the hours of
9:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. for recreational outdoor activities as determined by
local authority and under such limitations and restrictions as may be imposed by
local authority. Such restrictions at a minimum must require maintaining a
minimum of six feet distance between each individual and limiting group
gatherings/activities to a maximum of 10 participants indoor and a maximum of 20
participants outdoor.

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iii. Outdoor recreational activities, including swimming in pools, shall be permitted
between the hours of 9:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. Individuals shall maintain social
distancing of a minimum of six feet separation between each individual. Group
gatherings/activities shall be limited to a maximum of 10 participants (including
coaches, lifeguards and parents) indoor and a maximum of 20 participants outdoor.

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This Executive Order shall remain in effect and in full force from 8:00 a.m. on May 7, 2020, until
8:00 a.m. on Monday May 11, 2020, unless it is modified, amended, rescinded, or superseded.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set
my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of
Mississippi to be affixed.
DONE in the City of Jackson, on the _ day of
May, in the year of our Lord, two thousand and
twenty, and of the Independence of the United States
of America, the two hundred and forty-fourth.
TATE REEVES
GOVERNOR
BY THE GOVERNOR
MICHAEL WATSON
SECRETARY OF STATE