Governor’s Order Does Not Require Changes to Oxford Ordinances

By Alyssa Schnugg
News editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

During a special called meeting of the Oxford Board of Aldermen Wednesday, Mayor Robyn Tannehill said she was not recommending any changes be made to the two resolutions passed recently requiring drive-thru and curbside pick up services at all restaurants and most retail stores.

Gov. Tate Reeves issued an executive order Tuesday that outlined new guidelines in response to slowing the spread of COVID-19.

Tannehill said that at first, she had some concerns that changes needed to be made to the city’s ordinances since the governor’s order supersedes resolutions passed by municipalities.

However, after speaking to Gov. Reeves this afternoon, Tannehill said she and Gov. Reeves came to the conclusion that the city’s resolutions were similar enough to his order and no changes were necessary at this time.

In Reeves’ order issued Tuesday:

• Mississippians must avoid non-essential gatherings of 10 people or more.
• Suspending dine-in services at restaurants and bars across the state, instructing them to use drive-thru, take-out, or delivery services to get people food.
• Mississippians must not visit hospitals, nursing homes, or long-term care facilities.
• Directing businesses to allow every employee possible to work from home.
• Defining essential businesses to give clear guidance to partners at the local level and ensure no essential services are closed.

Also at the Wednesday meeting, Dr. Jason Waller, head of Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi said the Oxford hospital has tested 58 people for COVID-19.

“Six of those were positive and six are pending,” he said. “Not everyone who tested positive is from our community. We have people who come to the hospital from other areas.”

Waller did not mention if these six cases were included in the eight cases reported by the MSDH in Lafayette County as of this morning.

Waller said he expects to see the number of positive cases to rise over the next couple of weeks.

“Then they should peak in about four weeks and hopefully start to decline,” he said. “That will depend on how well this community practices these measures and social distancing.”