April 8, 2020January 6, 2021

Mayor Barker Provides Guidance to Essential Businesses Regarding Masks

in covid19, News & Updates
Mayor Barker Provides Guidance to Essential Businesses Regarding Masks

Hattiesburg, Mississippi – On Wednesday, Mayor Toby Barker issued Executive Order 2020-4 to provide guidance to essential and non-essential businesses maintaining minimum operations regarding masks.

This order goes into effect on Friday, April 10 at 5 p.m. and will be enforced until April 30, 2020. It includes the following:

  • All employees of essential businesses and all employees of nonessential businesses that are open to maintain minimal operations shall wear a mask when working in or moving about the same workspace as other employees or working in or moving about the same room as the public.
  • For purposes of this executive order, “mask” shall be defined as any face covering; including, but not limited to, fabric masks, homemade linen or cloth masks, household dust masks, handkerchief, scarf, surgical mask or N95 masks.
  • The above order does not obligate an employer to purchase a certain type of mask.
  • The above rule shall not apply to “essential healthcare operations” as defined in Governor Reeves’ Executive Order 1463. These operations shall continue with protocols regarding personal protective equipment that adhere to CDC guidelines, medical best practices and institutional policy.
  • Nothing in this order shall prevent a business from implementing a more restrictive policy in terms of masks or others measures to contain and prevent transmission of COVID-19.
  • All social distancing requirements and limits on gatherings of more than 10 people from previous mayoral Executive Orders 2020-1, 2020-2 and 2020-3 – as well as Governor Reeves’ Executive Orders 1463 and 1466 – shall remain in effect.
  • This executive order shall be enforced, including penalties for the violation thereof as authorized by statute, by the Hattiesburg Police Department, the Hattiesburg Fire Department,
    other local enforcement or another city department.
In a video shared with social media, Mayor Toby Barker states:
“This is all about preventing the worst-case scenario because we know what that looks like,” said Barker. “We can look at other parts of the country who are in the throes of this – the worst parts of this. We can prevent that from happening in Hattiesburg and our surrounding areas if we just take practical responsible steps to slow the spread. Wear a mask while out, only do what is essential and stay home.”
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VIDEO

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

Executive Order 2020-4, issued on April 8: https://www.hattiesburgms.com/wp-content/uploads/exec_order_2020-4.pdf
Executive Order 2020-3, issued on March 24: https://www.hattiesburgms.com/…/uploads/exec_order_2020-3.pdf
Executive Order 2020-2, issued on March 21: https://www.hattiesburgms.com/…/uploads/exec_order_2020-2.pdf
Executive Order 2020-1, issued on March 17: https://www.hattiesburgms.com/…/uploads/exec_order_2020-1.pdf

Executive Order 1463, issued on March 24 by Governor Tate Reeves: https://www.hattiesburgms.com/wp-content/uploads/Executive-Order-1463-Governor-Tate-Reeves.pdf