Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker issued a new executive order on Wednesday to set an earlier curfew beginning Friday night.
Barker said a 10 p.m. deadline for bars, nightclubs, and music venues will continue until Aug. 17. The change is needed to reinforce the city’s COVID-19 health program, he said.
"We are not meeting our first goal of protecting our vulnerable,” he said in the order. “And it is adversely affecting our second goal – preventing the overrun of our health care system.”
“(There have been) 772 new positive cases in the past 14 days,” he said. (We have) 1,377 pending tests - typically this provides for 10-15 percent in positive cases. And students are set to return in the coming weeks at both of our universities and local colleges.”
Barker said photos and reports surfaced of people who attended music venues late, with long lines and crowded weekend parking lots. Masks and social distancing were not seen.
“We have a limited amount of time to change course to help flatten our numbers,” he said.
Included in the order is that restaurants must cease dine-in service (indoor and outdoor) at 10 p.m., dance hall permits are suspended, and businesses must continue compliance with masks, distancing, capacity limits and other requirements from previous orders.