Vicksburg proclamation for outdoor sports complexes, theaters, libraries and museums – full text

PROCLAMATION REGARDING THE RE-OPENING OF OUTDOOR SPORTS COMPLEXES, THEATERS, LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS WHILE MINIMIZING THE RISK OF INFECTION AND TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 EFFECTIVE MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 AT 8:00 A.M. UNTIL JUNE 15, 2020

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 29, 2020, the Mississippi Department of Health has reported 14,790 positive confirmed cases and 710 deaths in Mississippi, 8 of which were in Warren County; and

WHEREAS, previous emergency orders have required that persons stay at home and that certain businesses be closed in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, the Governor of the State of Mississippi has adopted a Safe Return Order in an effort to continue to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while allowing the businesses to open and persons to return to work; and

WHEREAS, it is likewise necessary for Vicksburg businesses to safely open and Vicksburg citizens to safely return to work.

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 sports complexes, theaters and libraries/ museums as follows:

1. Outdoor sports complexes and multi-field complexes are allowed to open in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Mississippi State Department of Health for organized youth sports and subject to the following limitations:
   1. Team organized practices are permitted subject to the following limitations:
      1. League organizers and/or coaches are responsible for providing a copy of this Executive Order to all players and their parent(s)/guardian(s) prior to resuming team organized practices.
      2. Each player shall be screened by a coach prior to entering the field for practice. Such screening shall include the following questions, and any player answering any question in the affirmative shall be sent home:
         • Have you been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 14 days?
         • Are you experiencing a cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat?
         • Have you had a fever in the last 48 hours?
         • Have you had new loss of taste or smell?
         • Have you had vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours?
      3. Players and their parent(s)/guardian(s) shall be required to report any symptoms of COVID-19 to the coach, and any player that exhibits any of the symptoms of COVID-19 during practice shall be sent home immediately and advised to consult with their physician.
      4. Park personnel, volunteers and coaches shall ensure social distancing is maintained between players during practice as much as possible.
      5. Players and coaches shall sanitize their hands before entering the field for practice and after practice.
      6. Dugouts shall not be used during practice. Players’ bags and equipment shall be lined up against the fence at least 6 feet apart.
      7. Parents must remain in their cars during practice.
      8. Players should use their own equipment, and any shared equipment shall be sanitized by the coach before and after each practice.
      9. Players shall bring their own water/beverages and snacks. Shared drinking fountains, coolers and snacks are prohibited.
   2. Team organized games are permitted subject to the following limitations:
      1. Tournament or league organizers and/or coaches are responsible for providing a copy of this Executive Order to all teams and each player and their parent(s)/ guardian(s) prior to resuming organized games.
      2. The combined number of players and coaches participating in a game on a field and fans around the field watching the game shall not exceed 100 people.
      3. Each player shall be screened by a coach prior to entering the field for a game. Such screening shall include the following questions, and any player answering any question in the affirmative shall be sent home:
         • Have you been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 14 days?
         • Are you experiencing a cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat?
         • Have you had a fever in the last 48 hours?
         • Have you had new loss of taste or smell?
         • Have you had vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours?
      4. Players and their parent(s)/guardian(s) shall be required to report any symptoms of COVID-19 to the coach, and any player that exhibits any of the symptoms of COVID-19 during a game shall be sent home immediately and advised to consult with their physician.
      5. Coaches shall ensure social distancing is maintained between players as much as possible.
      6. Players and coaches shall sanitize their hands before entering the field for a game and after each game.
      7. For the safety of the players, dugouts may be used during games. To the extent possible, players shall social distance while in the dugout.
      8. Players should use their own equipment, and any shared equipment shall be sanitized by the coach before and after each game.
      9. Players shall bring their own water/beverage and snacks. Shared drinking fountains, coolers and snacks are prohibited.
      10. Concession stands shall remain closed.
      11. Notwithstanding park or tournament rules, players and fans shall be allowed to bring to the field/complex personal coolers containing water/beverages and snacks for their personal use.
      12. Post-game interaction between teams such as handshakes, high five, etc.is prohibited. Coaches and tournament organizers are encouraged to develop other distance appropriate measures to show good sportsmanship.
      13. When a game ends, the teams leaving the field shall sanitize the dugout area and the party responsible for sanitizing the dugout area shall be established before the game commences.
      14. No post-game talks at the field are permitted. Fans and players shall immediately leave the field and return to their cars.
      15. Fan attendance shall be limited to two household members of each player on the field.
      16. A sign shall be posted at all points of entry and at each field mandating that fans shall maintain at all times a minimum of six feet of separation from persons not in their household.
      17. The use of bleachers for fans is prohibited. Fans must bring their own chairs or stand. Fans from different households shall maintain a distance of 6 feet of separation.
      18. Fans are encouraged to wear a face covering, covering their nose and mouth, while attending games.
      19. Every league, tournament, event or facility shall have a dedicated Safety Officer to ensure that all elements of social distancing are enforced. The Safety Officer shall have sufficient staff to ensure that strict social distancing is observed by all players, coaches and fans at all times.
      20. Fans for upcoming games must remain in their cars until the teams and fans from the preceding game have exited from and around the field.
2. Movie theaters and auditoriums (collectively, “theaters”) to open subject to the following limitations:
   1. Prior to resuming operations, the theater, including areas not open to the public, shall be deep cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized.
   2. Theaters shall make reasonable, good-faith efforts to comply with the Mississippi State Department of Health’s and CDC’s regulations 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. Prior to resuming operations, the theater shall ensure that the ventilation system is operating properly. For HVAC systems, filtration up to SARS-CoV-2 standards is recommended. Regular and frequent cleaning of HVAC intakes and returns is required.
   4. Theaters 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:
      • Have you been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 14 days?
      • Are you experiencing a cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat?
      • Have you had a fever in the last 48 hours?
      • Have you had new loss of taste or smell?
      • Have you had vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours?
   5. All employees shall be required to report any symptoms of COVID-19 to their supervisor, and any employee who exhibits any of the symptoms of COVID-19 during their shift shall be sent home immediately and advised to consult with their physician.
   6. 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 using PPE.
   7. Appropriate PPE shall be worn by all employees based on their duties and responsibilities and in adherence to state and local regulations and guidelines. Every employee who comes into direct contact with customers shall be provided a face covering, covering the nose and mouth, and required to wear the face covering while on duty. Such face coverings shall be cleaned or changed at least daily.
   8. The use of technology solutions to minimize person-to-person contact is encouraged, including online ticket purchasing and contactless payment.
   9. Signage shall be posted at each entrance stating no customer with a fever or other symptom of COVID-19 is permitted in the movie theater.
   10. Customers are encouraged to wear a face covering, covering nose and mouth, while inside the movie theater.
   11. Showtimes shall be staggered to allow ample time for staff to clean and disinfect between shows/events and prevent customers from congregating in lobbies.
   12. Ticket sales shall be limited to 50% of the seating capacity of the theater.
   13. Social distancing (of a minimum of six feet) shall be observed at all points of sale and in waiting lines. Theaters shall train employees to ensure that social distancing is observed and to discourage congregating in common spaces like lobbies, hallways, and restrooms.
   14. Theaters are encouraged to develop new procedures for concession sales and pickup to minimize person-to-person contact such as grab-and-go options and single use utensils and condiments.
   15. Movie theater auditoriums shall be cleaned and disinfected between shows.
   16. All high-touch areas, including all door handles and counters shall be sanitized, at a minimum, once every two hours.
   17. Hand sanitizer shall be placed at all points of entry and exit, as well as in concession areas.
   18. Tables in any seated dining/party area shall be rearranged to ensure a minimum of six feet separation between tables. Seating shall be limited to a maximum of six guests per table.
3. Libraries and museums are allowed to open subject to the following limitations:
   1. Prior to resuming operations, the library/museum, including areas not open to the public, shall be deep cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized.
   2. Libraries/museums shall make reasonable, good-faith efforts to comply with the Mississippi State Department of Health’s and CDC’s regulations 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. Libraries/museums 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:
      • Have you been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 14 days?
      • Are you experiencing a cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat?
      • Have you had a fever in the last 48 hours?
      • Have you had new loss of taste or smell?
      • 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 who 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 using PPE. Appropriate PPE shall be worn by all employees based on their duties and responsibilities and in adherence to state and local regulations and guidelines. Every employee who comes into direct contact with guests shall be provided a face covering, covering the nose and mouth, and required to wear the face covering while on duty. Such face coverings shall be cleaned or changed at least daily.
   6. The use of technology solutions to minimize person-to-person contact is encouraged, including online ticket purchasing, contactless payment and self-checkout.
   7. Signage shall be posted at each entrance stating no customer with a fever or other symptom of COVID-19 is permitted in the library/museum.
   8. Guests are encouraged to wear a face covering, covering nose and mouth, while inside the library/museum.
   9. The number of guests in the library/museum shall be limited to no greater than 50% of maximum capacity.
   10. Social distancing (of a minimum of six feet) shall be observed throughout the library/museum.
   11. Employees shall be trained to ensure that social distancing is observed and to discourage congregating in common spaces.
   12. Tables shall be rearranged to ensure a minimum of six feet of separation between tables. Seating at each table shall be limited to a maximum of six guests.
   13. All high-touch areas shall be sanitized, at a minimum, once every two hours.
   14. Hand sanitizer shall be placed at all points of entry and exit, as well as in concession areas.
   15. Group tours and activities shall be limited to a maximum of twenty guests.
   16. Museum cafes may resume food services subject to the limitations on in-house dining for restaurants.

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 MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 AT 8:00 A.M. AND SHALL CONTINUE UNTIL 8:00 A.M. ON JUNE 15, 2020 UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED HEREIN OR EXTENDED, MODIFIED OR REPEALED BY A SUBSEQUENT PROCLAMATION.

SO RESOLVED this the ____ day of May 2020.

____________________________

GEORGE FLAGGS, JR., MAYOR

CITY OF VICKSBURG, MS

ATTEST:

_____________________

WALTER W. OSBORNE, JR.

CITY CLERK