No midnight toasts at bars and restaurants on New Year’s Eve

Are you planning on ringing in 2021 with your favorite adult beverage at midnight Dec. 31?

If so, plan on doing it at home — or not in Mississippi.

Under the COVID-19 restrictions in place statewide and in the City of Vicksburg, all restaurants and bars must stop selling alcoholic beverages at 11 p.m. and can’t resume until 7 a.m. the following morning.

In addition, patrons must be seated to get an alcoholic beverage, and establishments are limited to 50% of capacity and must ensure 6 feet of distance between groups.

The Oxford, Mississippi, police department reached out to the governor’s office to see if the rules would be relaxed for New Year’s Eve, WLBT reports.

“Governor Reeves office confirmed this morning that they will not allow an extension of hours for New Year’s Eve,” the police department posted on social media Monday. “The City of Oxford does not have the authority to be more lenient than the governor’s executive order.”

Read the Vicksburg COVID-19 proclamation.

The Vicksburg Police Department has not responded to our inquiries as of Tuesday morning. The Vicksburg Daily News will update this story as we receive additional information.