State of Emergency Declared for Vicksburg

March 16 – Emily Tillman

This morning, Mayor Flaggs recommended adoption of Mississippi Department of Health guidelines, city employee COVID-19 policies and procedures, and joint state emergency declaration with Warren County Board of Supervisors.

“Declaring a state of emergency allows us to access mutual aid resources from the state and federal government, bypass bid laws, and spend whatever money is necessary to respond to the needs of our residents until this outbreak has been contained, ” said Mayor Flaggs. “Vicksburg and Warren County are united in our response to the COVID-19 outbreak and will continue to act with our residents’ best interests in mind.”

The City of Vicksburg’s Policy and Procedure for Coronavirus (COVID-19)

It is the policy of The City of Vicksburg to follow
recommendations by Health Officials of the State of Mississippi. As
such, the City’s Policy and Procedure for the safety of our citizens in the
recent coronavirus outbreak shall mirror the State’s guidelines to prevent
the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and include specific
preventative measures that meet the needs of the City:

State of Mississippi:

• Anyone 65 years or older, or anyone with severe medical
  conditions, should not be in or near crowds of over 50
  people;
• Communities should strongly consider canceling events and
  gatherings where over 50 people will be present;
• Precautions at gatherings should include proper hand
  hygiene, social distancing, and enhanced ventilation
  (HVAC/open windows);
• After visiting a place where the virus is verified to be present,
  do not go into crowds and practice social distancing;
• Do not visit a hospital or emergency room if you believe you
  have contracted COVID-19. Call ahead before visiting any
  clinic or hospital for specific testing directions;

City of Vicksburg:

• For the next 14 days, City of Vicksburg employees will
  operate under the “Emergency, hazardous conditions and
  inclement weather policy.” This policy utilization decision
  will be re-evaluated on or before March 29, 2020.
• All police personnel should take proper precautions, such as
  wearing gloves, when making physical contact with the
  public;
• Every City of Vicksburg-owned restroom will be checked for
  sufficient amounts of soap and/or hand sanitizer, and paper
  towels each hour of the workday for the next 30 days. This
  policy will be re-evaluated on or before April 13, 2020
• The City of Vicksburg Senior Center will remain closed for
  the next 14 days. The closure will be re-evaluated on or
  before March 29, 2020;
• The City of Vicksburg is suspending water and gas customer
  disconnects for the next 60 days and will re-evaluate the
  disconnect suspension policy on or before March 29, 2020;
• The City of Vicksburg is suspending all city-funded,
  employee travel for any distance over 100 miles outside of
  Vicksburg for the next 30 days, unless deemed necessary by
  the Mayor. The city-funded travel suspension policy will be
  re-evaluated on or before April 13, 2020;
• Any City employee, or family member within their
  household, who travels over 100 miles outside of Vicksburg
  over the course of the next 30 days is to report it to their
  immediate supervisor. This travel policy will be re-evaluated
  on or before April 13, 2020;
• Any City employee who travels outside of the United States
  must stay home for 14 days before returning to work over the
  course of the next 30 days. This travel policy will be re-
  evaluated on or before April 13, 2020;
• All City of Vicksburg recreation facilities will be closed for
  the next 14 days, this includes the Jackson Street YMCA and
  all City parks and recreation facilities. This policy will be re-
  evaluated on or before March 29, 2020;
• There will be no City of Vicksburg public meetings, zoning
  or code enforcement hearings, or public gatherings of more
  than 50 people for the next 14 days; additionally, municipal
  court cases will be postponed for the next 14 days unless
  deemed an emergency. This policy will be re-evaluated on or
  before March 29, 2020;
• The City of Vicksburg is recommending that no inside
  funeral services exceeding more than 50 people be held for
  the next 14 days and is recommending graveside services
  only. This policy will be re-evaluated on or before March 29,
  2020;
• The City of Vicksburg is relaxing its dress code policy for the
  next 14 days to provide for the comfort of its employees.
  This policy will be re-evaluated on or before March 29, 2020.