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Government responses to and political effects of the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 (Mississippi)
Ballotpedia’s coverage of COVID-19 includes how federal, state, and local governments are responding, and how those responses are influencing election rules and operations, political campaigns, the economy, schools, and more.
This article contains coverage of eight kinds of state government responses to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The article tracks developments in these areas that took place between the start of the pandemic in March 2020 through Dec. 4, 2020. The government responses covered here include:
- Changes to election dates and procedures in 2020
- Initial stay-at-home orders
- Executive orders
- Coronavirus-related legislation in 2020
- Changes to the state's 2020 legislative session
- Court closures
- The release of inmates
- Rent, mortgage, eviction, and foreclosure policies
Additionally, the article includes:
- Arguments related to the state's response to the coronavirus
- Individual industries and activities from May 15 through July 31
- The state's initial plan to reopen from March and April 2020 closures
- Coronavirus resources relevant to the state.
To view current coverage areas, including mask requirements, school responses, travel restrictions, and much more, click a state in the map below.
Changes to election dates and procedures, March 16 through November 19
General election changes
Mississippi modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:
- Absentee/mail-in voting: Any individual under a physician-ordered quarantine, or an individual caring for a dependent under quarantine, due to COVID-19 was eligible to vote by absentee ballot. The absentee ballot postmark deadline was extended to November 3, 2020, and the receipt deadline to November 10, 2020.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Primary election changes
Mississippi modified its primary election process as follows:
- Election postponements: The Republican primary runoff election for the state's 2nd Congressional District was postponed from March 31 to June 23.
- Political party events: The Republican Party of Mississippi postponed its state convention, originally scheduled for May 15-16, indefinitely.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Click the gray bar below for more detailed information.
Statewide stay-at-home order, March 23 through December 4
On April 1, Gov. Tate Reeves (R) issued Executive Order 1466, which directed individuals in Mississippi to stay home except for essential activities and closed nonessential businesses in the state.[7] The stay-at-home order took effect April 3 and was set to last until April 27.[8] Reeves did not extend the order past its April 27 expiration date.[9]
Executive Order 1466 refers to Executive Order 1463 for a list of essential businesses in the state. Executive Order 1463 is embedded below.
Executive orders, March 30 through June 29
- State of Emergency declared
- Executive order No. 1457 Mississippi COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Planning Steering Committee
- Executive Order No. 1458 Ensures Paid Leave for State/Local Employees and Determines Essential Employees and also directs MDE to work on Distance Learning solutions
- Executive Order No 1459 Activates the Mississippi National Guard to support mobile testing units
- Executive Order No. 1460 Closure of Public School
- Executive Order No. 1461 Congressional Elections Postponement
- Executive Order 1462 Tax Deadline Extension, Unemployment
- Executive Order 1463 Non-essential Gatherings, Restaurants, Nursing Homes
- Executive Order 1463 Supplement
- Executive Order 1464 Transportation
- Executive Order No. 1465 Shelter in Place
- Executive Order No. 1466 Shelter in Place, Evictions Suspended
- Executive Order No. 1467 – Notary Services
- Executive Order No. 1468 Party Nominating Conventions
- Executive Order No. 1469 Shareholder Meetings
- Executive Order 1470 Medically Necessary Procedures
- Executive Order No. 1471 – Health Care Facilities and Professionals
- Executive Order No. 1472 – Reemployment after Retirement
- Executive Order 1473 – Amended Shelter In Place Order
- Executive Order 1474 – Licensing
- Executive Order 1475 – Public Service Commission
- Executive Order 1476 – School Closure
Court closures, March 17 through November 4
- March 26, 2020: The Mississippi Supreme Court ordered the suspension of a criminal procedure rule that prohibited the use of interactive equipment for probation violation hearings and felony sentencing.[10]
- March 16, 2020: The Mississippi Supreme Court ordered that individual judges had the discretion to postpone trials on their docket through May 15, 2020.[11]
Legislative session changes, March 20 through October 1
The Mississippi State Legislature suspended its session, effective March 18, 2020. The suspension was originally set to expire April 1, 2020. It was subsequently extended to May 18, 2020, but the legislature reconvened earlier, on May 7, 2020.[12][13][14][15]
Proposed and enacted legislation, March 25 through August 19
See below for a complete list of bills related to the coronavirus pandemic in Mississippi. To learn more about a particular bill, click its title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.
Rent, mortgage, eviction, and foreclosure policies, April 9 through November 24
- June 1, 2020: Evictions in Mississppi resumed.[16]
- May 13, 2020: Gov. Tate Reeves (R) announced that suspension of evictions would expire on June 1.[17]
- April 24, 2020: Gov. Tate Reeves issued executive order 1477 part of which extended the suspension of evictions in the state through the end of the shelter in place order through May 11. The order directed all state, county, and local law enforcement to cease the enforcement of evictions on residential property during the “safer-at-home” order. Prior to the order, the suspension on evictions was set to expire on April 24.[18]
- April 1, 2020: Gov. Tate Reeves issued executive order 1466 part of which suspended evictions in the state through the end of the shelter-in-place order, which was scheduled to end April 24.[19]
Prison inmate release responses, March 30 through July 1
- April 23, 2020: The Supreme Court of Mississippi ordered senior circuit judges to review the cases of all pretrial defendants who are eligible for bail. The order allowed judges to take into consideration the impact of coronavirus, either real or potential, within an individual detention center when reviewing cases as a condition of release.[20]
Ballotpedia is covering the debate over continuing restrictions and closures in Mississippi in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Click on the links below to read more about these debates.
- Debate over the stay-at-home order
- Debate over school closures
- Debate over religious service restrictions
- Debate over election policy
- Debate over CARES Act funding in Mississippi
Status of industries, May 15 through July 31
Between May 15 and July 31, we conducted detailed tracking of industries and activities in each state daily.
- "Yes" means an activity was allowed or an industry was permitted to open. "No" means an activity was not allowed or an industry was not permitted to reopen.
- Some rules were applied regionally rather than statewide. Each cell shows the loosest restriction in place at the time, or the broadest level of an activity permitted in the state, even if that activity was only permitted regionally. Where applicable, we indicated that an activity was only permitted regionally, and provided details in a cell note. For example, if gyms were permitted to open in half of a state, the spreadsheet would say "Yes (regionally)," and differences between the regions would be explained in a note.
- A lack of detail in a note or parentheses does not necessarily mean that an activity or industry was "back to normal." We did our best to capture caveats, exceptions, and modifications to activities. We acknowledge, though, that states put forth a large number of requirements for many industries and activities.
Initial reopening plan from March and April 2020 closures
Mississippi released an initial reopening plan from March and April 2020 closures on April 24, 2020. An analysis of this plan appeared in our Documenting America's Path to Recovery newsletter on May 26. The sections below include an analysis of the plan, the details of the plan, and reactions from officials to the plan.
Summary from Documenting America's Path to Recovery
On April 24, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) signed Executive Order No. 1477, the Safer At Home order that began the process of reopening the economy. The order took effect on April 27 and was originally set to expire on May 11. In announcing the order, Reeves said, “This disease has not hit every American fairly. And the economic damage has not hit every American fairly. Wall Street and Hollywood will be fine. Mississippi small businesses and workers are not. That’s who has been asked to shoulder the country’s burden. It’s not fair, and it’s not right. We are starting to re-open our economy. It’s not a light switch that only goes on and off. It’s a dimmer. We can take measured steps to make life better.”
The order said Mississippi could begin reopening because: “...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…”
On May 7, Reeves announced that the state was entering Stage 2 of reopening. Reeves replaced the Safer At Home order with the Safe Return order. According to Reeves, this was the final stage of reopening.
Context
- On April 1, Reeves issued a statewide shelter-in-place order, requiring residents to stay at home unless performing essential activities. The order was originally scheduled to expire on April 20. On April 17, Reeves announced he was extending the shelter-in-place order through April 27. He also announced that nonessential businesses, like clothing stores and florists, could begin offering curbside or delivery services.
- As of June 28, Mississippi had reported 26,400 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1,042 deaths. Mississippi had an estimated population of 2,976,149 as of July 2019. For every 100,000 Mississippians, the state had 887 cases and 35 deaths.
- Mississippi has a Republican trifecta. Republicans hold the governorship and have majorities in the state House and Senate.
Plan details
When Reeves extended the statewide shelter-in-place order on April 17, he also eased, for the first time, a few restrictions on nonessential businesses. Beginning that day, nonessential businesses like clothing stores and florists could offer curbside pickup or delivery services. Additionally, Reeves reopened lakes and beaches across the state for fishing and other leisure activities, so long as social distancing was followed.
Stage 1 of Safer At Home
Mississippi entered the first stage of reopening on April 27. Although the shelter-in-place order had expired, the 10-person limit on gatherings remained in place. Vulnerable and elderly individuals were encouraged to continue following the guidelines set out in the shelter-in-place order.
In Stage 1, hospitals and dentists were allowed to resume performing elective surgeries and other medical and dental procedures. Retail businesses could reopen at 50% capacity, so long as they made hand sanitizer available to customers at store entrances.
The following businesses were prohibited from reopening to in-person activities:
- Places of amusement or entertainment, such as movie theaters and museums.
- Close contact businesses like salons, gyms, tattoo parlors, and other personal care and personal grooming facilities (these businesses were permitted to sell products through curbside pick-up or delivery).
- Restaurants and bars (curbside pick-up, drive-thru, or delivery services only).
Stage 2
On May 4, Reeves signed Executive Order No. 1478, which extended the Safer at Home order and further eased restrictions. The order went into effect May 7, at which point the state entered Stage 2 of reopening.
In the second stage, restaurants were permitted to offer indoor and outdoor dining at 50% capacity. Bars, and bar areas, could not reopen. Other rules required deep-cleaning and sanitizing the entire establishment before reopening, and required employees to wear face coverings when interacting with patrons.
Indoor gatherings were still restricted to 10 people, but outdoor gatherings could expand up to 20 people. Parks, including state, municipal, and private parks, were allowed to reopen between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. for recreational activities, so long as social distancing was followed.
On May 8, Reeves signed Executive Order 1480, which once again extended the statewide Safer at Home order and eased restrictions on some businesses.
Under this order, close contact businesses like salons and barbershops were permitted to reopen. Exercise facilities, like gyms, were allowed to reopen. Waiting areas were closed, and only one customer at a time was allowed in a salon or barbershop. Gyms were limited to 30% capacity.
Reeves issued Executive Order 1486 on May 15, allowing tattoo parlors to reopen with restrictions. The order also allowed restaurants that do not serve alcohol to offer indoor dining 24 hours a day and permitted dance studios to reopen subject to the same restrictions as gyms.
On May 22, Reeves extended the Safer at Home order through June 1 and permitted more businesses to reopen.
Under Executive Order No. 1487, outdoor recreational facilities were allowed to reopen with restrictions, and schools could reopen weight rooms and training facilities, so long as they followed the guidelines already in place for gyms. Additionally, team practices could resume at outdoor sports complexes.
Safe Return
On May 27, Reeves announced the Safe Return order would replace the Safer at Home order on June 1. He said Safe Return was the final stage of reopening.
The Safe Return order permitted indoor gatherings to increase to a maximum of 50 people and outdoor gatherings to increase to a maximum of 100 people. If social distancing was not possible, indoor gatherings were limited to 20, while outdoor gatherings were limited to 50 people.
The order allowed all businesses to reopen in Mississippi, including:
- Bars (50% capacity)
- Indoor places of amusement, including bowling alleys and playgrounds (50% capacity)
- Youth sports (no more than 100 people allowed at a game, including players, coaches, and fans)
- Movie theaters (50% capacity)
- Libraries and museums (50% capacity)
On June 10, Reeves announced he was extending Safe Return through June 29, with modifications. The revised order allowed gyms and fitness facilities to operate at 50% capacity and allowed indoor and outdoor arenas and venues to operate at 50% capacity.
On June 26, Reeves announced he was extending the “Safe Return” order through July 6, with modifications. The revised order allows concession stands at outdoor sports arenas to open and permits pools to be open 24 hours a day.
Click the links below to explore official resources related to the coronavirus outbreak.
State resources
- Office of the Governor of Mississippi
- Mississippi Department of Health
- Mississippi Department of Education
Twitter feeds for government officials and agencies appear below.
Federal resources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor
- U.S. Department of Education
- World Health Organization
See also
- Documenting America's Path to Recovery
- Mississippi’s path to recovery from the coronavirus pandemic
- School responses in Mississippi to the coronavirus pandemic
- School responses to the coronavirus pandemic by state
- COVID-19 vaccine distribution by state
- Travel restrictions by state
- Federal government responses to the coronavirus pandemic
Footnotes
- ↑ Supreme Court of Mississippi, "Watson v. Oppenheim: Opinion," September 18, 2020
- ↑ Hinds County Chancery Court, "Oppenheim v. Watson: Order of the Court," September 2, 2020
- ↑ Mississippi Legislature, "House Bill 1521," accessed July 22, 2020
- ↑ Clarion Ledger, "Many states are allowing anyone to vote by mail during the pandemic. Not Mississippi." July 19, 2020
- ↑ Clarion Ledger, "Coronavirus in Mississippi: Republican Party postpones convention," April 11, 2020
- ↑ Office of the Mississippi Governor, "Executive Order No. 1461," March 20, 2020
- ↑ Governor of Mississippi, "Executive Order 1466," accessed April 2, 2020
- ↑ WKRG, "UPDATE: Gov. Reeves extends stay-at-home order for one more week," April 17, 2020
- ↑ Insurance Journal, "Mississippi Gov Allows Stay-at-Home Order to Expire but Urges Vigilance," April 27, 2020
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedMar27courts - ↑ WJTV, "Mississippi Supreme Court sets certain emergency actions due to coronavirus," March 16, 2020
- ↑ Clarion Ledger, "Mississippi lawmakers to halt legislative session over coronavirus," March 17, 2020
- ↑ Clarion Ledger, "Mississippi Legislature will not come back April 1, as coronavirus spreads," March 26, 2020
- ↑ Clarion Ledger, "Amid coronavirus pandemic, Mississippi Legislature will reconvene on May 18," April 27, 2020
- ↑ WLOX, "Mississippi Legislature to reconvene Thursday," May 5, 2020
- ↑ NOLO, "Emergency Bans on Evictions and Other Tenant Protections Related to Coronavirus," accessed June 22, 2020
- ↑ WDAM 7, "Eviction suspension ends June 1 in Miss.," May 13, 2020
- ↑ State of Mississippi Office of the Governor, "Executive Order No. 1477," April 24, 2020
- ↑ State of Mississippi-Office of the Governor, "Executive Order 1466," April 1, 2020
- ↑ In the Supreme Court of Mississippi, "IN RE: EMERGENCY ORDER RELATED TO CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)," April 23, 2020
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