Vicksburg COVID-19 proclamation, May 12 to June 1, 2020 – full text

PROCLAMATION REGARDING THE OPERATION OF SALONS, BARBER SHOPS AND OTHER PERSONAL CARE FACILITIES AND FITNESS AND EXERCISE GYMS DURING THE CIVIL EMERGENCY DECLARED TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19

EFFECTIVE TUESDAY MAY 12, 2020 AT 8:00 A.M.

WHEREAS, pursuant to §§45-17-1 through 45-17-13, and §33-15-17 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, as amended, the Mayor is authorized to proclaim that a Civil Emergency exists defined as any natural disaster or man-made calamity resulting in the death or injury of persons to such an extent that extraordinary measures must be taken to protect the public health, safety and welfare; and

WHEREAS, §21-19-3 gives municipalities the authority to make regulations to prevent the spreading of contagious or infectious diseases and to make quarantine laws for that purpose; and

WHEREAS, §33-15-17 authorizes the Mayor to control or restrict egress, ingress and movement within the local emergency area necessary to facilitate the protection of life and property; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to these laws, the Mayor is authorized to issue such orders as he deems necessary to protect the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Vicksburg, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) that has spread across this nation is a worldwide pandemic and as of May 8, 2020, the Mississippi Department of Health has reported 9,090 positive confirmed cases and 409 deaths in Mississippi, 2 of which were in Warren County; and

WHEREAS, extraordinary measures related to the spread of the Coronavirus are necessary for the health, safety, welfare and good order to protect the public and a Proclamation was issued effective March 23, 2020 at Noon to employ certain measures which were intended to minimize the spread of the COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, previous emergency orders have required that barber shops, beauty salons, nail salons and message spas be closed to prevent the spread; and

WHEREAS, the Governor of the State of Mississippi has amended his Safer at Home Order in an effort to continue to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while allowing these personal care businesses and gyms to operate; and

WHEREAS, there are requirements that are mandated if these businesses desire to open to provide services to their customers.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED BY THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF VICKSBURG pursuant to §§45-17-1 through 45-17-13, §21-19-3  and §33-15-17 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, the following regulations apply to personal care services such as barbers, beauty salons, nail salons, and message spas (collectively “Salons”) as follows:

1. Prior to resuming operations, the entire salon, including areas not open to the public shall be deep cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized.
2. Salons shall take all reasonable measures to ensure compliance with the Mississippi State Department of Health’s and CDC’s regulations, orders and guidelines 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 shift.
3. Salons shall conduct a daily screening of all employees at the beginning of their shift. Such daily screening shall include the following questions, and any employee answering any question in the affirmative shall be sent home:
   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?

4. All employees shall be required to report any symptoms of COVID-19 to their supervisor, and any employee that exhibits any of the symptoms of COVID-19 during their shift shall be sent home immediately and advised to consult with their physician.
5. All employees shall be provided training regarding minimizing the spread of COVID-19, including reinforcement of proper sanitation, hand washing, cough and sneeze etiquette, and proper use of PPE.
6. 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).
7. Every employee shall be provided a face covering, covering nose and mouth, and shall be required to wear that face covering while on duty, such face coverings shall be cleaned or replaced at least daily.
8. Every employee shall wear disposable gloves when serving a customer and change gloves between customers.
9. Customers shall wear a face covering, covering nose and mouth, while inside the salon at all times except when receiving a service that otherwise could not be provided while wearing a face covering.
10. Each customer shall be draped with a clean cape. Capes shall be laundered after each use.  The use of disposable capes is encouraged.
11. A protective neck strip shall be placed around the neck of each hair-cut customer.
12. The use of neck brushes is prohibited.
13. All linens, including all towels, capes, and neck strips shall be stored in an airtight container.
14. All linen hampers and trash containers shall be cleaned and disinfected daily, and all such containers must have a lid.
15. Employees shall wash their hands with soapy, warm water for a minimum of twenty seconds between every customer.
16. Services shall be provided on an appointment or walk-in basis. All customers shall wait outside until they are called for screening prior to entry into the salon.
17. The use of technology solutions to minimize person-to-person contact is encouraged, including mobile appointment systems, text upon arrival, and contactless payment options.
18. Signage shall be posted at each entrance stating no customer with a fever or other symptom of COVID-19 is permitted in the salon.
19. Customers shall be screened for illness prior to their entry into the salon. Such screening shall include the following questions, and any customer answering any question in the affirmative shall not be permitted to enter the salon:
    1. Have you traveled outside of the United States in the past 14 days?
    2. Have you experienced any COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, body aches, or loss of sense of taste or smell) in the past 14 days?
20. All waiting areas shall be closed, items such as magazines, popcorn poppers, and coffee pots/machines shall be removed, and customers shall not be permitted to congregate outside of the solon prior to their appointment. Customers shall wait in their vehicle until their appointment time.
21. Chairs shall be re-arranged to ensure at least six feet of separation between customers. If chairs cannot be spaced 6 feet apart, employees should stagger scheduling customers so that customers never sit closer than 6 feet to each other.
22. The number of customers in the salon shall be limited to one customer per employee.
23. Chairs (including arm rests and head rests), stations and all other surfaces that are contacted by customers during the course of providing services shall be sanitized after each use by customers. All other high-touch areas, including all door handles shall be sanitized, at a minimum, once every two hours.
24. Disinfectant for immersion of tools shall be changed daily.
25. Hand sanitizer shall be placed at all points of entry and exit, and customers shall be required to sanitize their hands upon entry into and exit from the salon.
26. The salon shall be deep cleaned daily. All bowls, hoses, spray nozzles, foist handles, shampoo chairs and arm rests shall be disinfected daily.
27. The salon should keep a daily log of customers or other means to identify customers on a daily basis with customer contact information.
28. Hours of operation shall be from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED BY THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF VICKSBURG pursuant to §§45-17-1 through 45-17-13, §21-19-3  and §33-15-17 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, the following regulations apply to fitness and exercise gyms (collectively “gyms”)  as follows:

1. Prior to resuming operations, the entire gym, including areas not open to the public shall be deep cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized.
2. Gyms shall set hours of operation between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
3. In addition to other staff, a minimum of one employee must be on-site during the gym’s hours of operation dedicated to wiping down equipment following use by customers.
4. Gyms shall take all reasonable measures to ensure compliance with the Mississippi State Department of Health’s and CDC’s regulations, orders and guidelines 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 shift.
5. Daily screening of employees shall include the following questions, and any employee answering any question in the affirmative shall be sent home:
   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?
6. All employees shall be required to report any symptoms of COVID-19 (i.e., fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, body aches, or loss of sense of taste or smell) to their supervisor, and any employee that exhibits any of the symptoms of COVID-19 during their shift shall be sent home immediately and advised to consult with their physician.
7. All employees shall be provided training regarding minimizing the spread of COVID-19, including reinforcement of proper sanitation, hand washing, cough and sneeze etiquette, and proper use of PPE.
8. Every employee shall be provided a face covering, covering nose and mouth, and shall be required to wear that face covering while on duty, such face coverings shall be cleaned or replaced at least daily.
9. Every employee on the gym floor shall wear disposable gloves and change gloves, at a minimum, once per hour.
10. 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).
11. The number of customers in the gym shall be limited to no greater than 30% of the gym’s maximum occupancy. Gyms are encouraged to limit each customer’s time in the gym to a maximum of one hour per day, especially if such use is during peak times.
12. Signage shall be posted at each entrance stating no customer with a fever or other symptom of COVID-19 is permitted in the gym.
13. Customers shall be screened for illness prior to their entry into the gym.
14. Exercise machines and equipment must be rearranged and/or deactivated to ensure a minimum of six feet of separation between customers.
15. Classes or group exercise activities are permitted. Participants shall maintain a minimum of six feet of separation between each individual at all times, and all exercise equipment shall be rearranged and/or deactivated to ensure a minimum of six feet of separation between participants.
16. All high-touch areas, including all door handles shall be sanitized, at a minimum, once every two hours.
17. Hand sanitizer shall be placed at all points of entry and exit, and throughout the gym floor, and customers shall be required to sanitize their hands upon entry into and exit from the gym, and when moving between exercise equipment.
18. If the gym provides towels for use by customers, such towels shall be stored in an airtight container.
19. All linen hampers and trash containers shall be cleaned and disinfected daily, and all such containers must have a lid.
20. Gyms may offer food services, subject to the limitations on restaurants by previous proclamation.
21. All common areas, with the exception of bathrooms/locker rooms shall remain closed.
22. The gym floor shall be deep cleaned daily.
23. The gym should keep a daily log of customers or other means to identify customers on a daily basis with customer contact information.

Violations of this EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION will be subject to misdemeanor prosecution pursuant to Sec. 45-17-9 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, as amended, Sec. 33-15-7 and Sec. 1-9 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Vicksburg, including a fine of up to $1,000.00 and 90 days in jail.

THIS PROCLAMATION SHALL BE IN EFFECT BEGINNING TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2020 AT 8:00 A.M.  AND SHALL CONTINUE UNTIL 8:00 A.M. ON JUNE 1, 2020 UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED HEREIN OR EXTENDED, MODIFIED OR REPEALED BY A SUBSEQUENT PROCLAMATION.

THIS EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION SHALL BE PLACED IN THE CITY OF VICKSBURG MINUTES AND REVIEWED EVERY THIRTY (30) DAYS AS REQUIRED BY LAW.

SO RESOLVED this the ____ day of May 2020.

____________________________

GEORGE FLAGGS, JR., MAYOR

CITY OF VICKSBURG, MS

ATTEST:

_____________________

WALTER W. OSBORNE, JR.

CITY CLERK