A mask mandate will remain in place in Greenwood for the time being.
The City Council voted 6-1 Tuesday to replace the existing mandate, which expired that day, with a new mask mandate that goes into effect 8 a.m. Wednesday and continues until Tuesday, June 15.
Only Ward 2’s Lisa Cookston voted in opposition.
All six council members who voted for another mask mandate spoke in favor of it prior to their vote.
“I wear this mask to protect you,” said Ward 1’s Johnny Jennings. He said that he had spoken with several members of the medical community, all of whom told him a mask mandate is still needed.
The council first passed a mask mandate last July. This mandate had no expiration date.
Last month the City Council approved a resolution that set April 20 as the date in which the council would assess whether a mask mandate should continue.
On June 15, the council will conduct a similar assessment.
As in the past, masks are not required for the following individuals or situations: children under 5 and people who cannot wear a facial covering due to a medical or behavioral condition; patrons while dining at restaurants and other settings where it’s not feasible to wear a mask; private, individual offices with fewer than 10 people and small offices where the public does not interact with the employer; and establishments where physical partitions prohibit contact between the customers and the employees.
Council President Ronnie Stevenson, who represents Ward 3, said he’d like to see at least half of Leflore County’s population become fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the city lifts the mandate.
According to the Mississippi State Department of Health’s COVID-19 vaccine report, 27% of Leflore County’s population has been fully inoculated against COVID-19.
Ward 4’s Charles McCoy said he has not heard from any residents that the mandate needs to be removed.
Ward 5’s Andrew Powell said the mandate is still warranted given that a new variant of COVID-19 has been discovered.
He also added that, if masks are not worn inside businesses, it might take only one or two infected persons to spread COVID-19.
Ward 6’s David Jordan said he doesn’t know a single person who has died from wearing a mask to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and added that both President Joe Biden and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourage Americans to continue to wear masks.
Ward 7’s Carl Palmer said he was concerned about the county’s low vaccination rate and added that, outside of getting vaccinated, wearing a mask is the best way to protect oneself from COVID-19 as well as reducing its spread.
In her opposition, Cookston said that she’s heard from local business owners who said they are ready for the mask mandate to end and that the decision to wear a mask should be a personal one.
“We’ve been under this for too long. I’m ready to lift it,” she said.
Mayor Carolyn McAdams, who does not have a vote, has previously said that the city’s mask mandate should be scrapped in favor of letting individuals make their own decisions. She has also said that the Police Department is not enforcing the mandate.
On Tuesday, however, McAdams said she would respect the council’s vote and added everyone needs to wear a mask correctly by not having it hanging on the chin or not covering the nose.
Stevenson said the main reason for the implementation of the city’s mask mandate is to give businesses the power to require patrons to mask up before entering their place of business.
Also Tuesday:
- The council voted 6-1 to approve a resolution to donate $3,000 toward a countywide litter plan.
Last month, Reginald Moore, president of the Leflore County Board of Supervisors, gave a presentation to the council detailing his comprehensive plan to fight litter in the community.
The project, called Reclamation 2021, includes public service announcements made by public officials, leaders touring areas to assess the litter problem as well as staggered donations to community groups to fund cleanup efforts.
The Board of Supervisors voted last month to donate $4,000 toward the anti-litter project.
Delta Health Alliance, a health nonprofit based in Stoneville, also has committed $3,000 to the project, Moore has said.
Cookston, who voted against the resolution, said she just wanted to get more information about how the city’s money would be used for the anti-litter campaign.
Moore was not present at Tuesday’s meeting.
- The council approved a $200 sponsorship for a Juneteenth festival scheduled to be held June 19 at Whittington Park.
Kamron Daniels, a recent graduate of the University of Mississippi and one of the organizers of the event, said the goal of the event is to provide a family-fun atmosphere while also educating local residents about the importance of the Juneteenth holiday.
Juneteenth commemorates when a Union Army general proclaimed freedom from slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865. The announcement came to signify the end of slavery across the United States.
- Contact Gerard Edic at 581-7239 or gedic@gwcommonwealth.com.
