Curfew issued for city of Jackson; documentation required for essential workers if stopped by police

The city of Jackson will be under a curfew beginning Thursday. 

Residents who are not considered essential employees will be prohibited from driving or walking in the city from midnight to 5 a.m. 

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba's order also requires essential businesses or operations to provide its employees documentation or verification of their essential status in case they are stopped by Jackson police. 

Lumumba made the announcement Wednesday morning.

“We know that staying home and physical distancing are important ways to keep each other safe. We also understand that staying in can be challenging, which is why we are encouraging residents to use the 'warm line' and other mental health supports during these trying times. We will get through this together.”

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The city of Jackson launched the  "warm line" for residents to address anxiety. It is similar to a crisis hotline.

The curfew is the latest measure taken by the mayor to stem the recent spike in coronavirus cases.

Lumumba on Tuesday ordered all bars to shut down indoor service. He was among the first mayors in the state to order a citywide face covering mandate on June 30.

The curfew will be in place for five days, or until Aug. 11. It will be reconsidered at that time, the mayor said. 

Until now, the mayor has resisted ordering a curfew even as some City Council members argued for one. Lumumba has reasoned that his stay-at-home order was essentially the same thing. The city is no longer under that order, prompting the mayor to put the curfew into place.

Those residents and workers considered essential include:

• Law enforcement, fire personnel and first responders
• State and local government employees
• Emergency and hospital services 
• Medical patients
• Critical trades: Includes plumbers, electricians, exterminators, cleaning and janitorial staff, and other building and construction tradespersons. 

A full list of essential businesses and services under the order can be found here. 

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Hinds County, home to Jackson, has seen an explosion of new coronavirus cases since the beginning of July. According to the state Department of Health, there were 2,152 reported positive cases on July 1. By the end of the month, there were 5,091 cases. On Tuesday, that number jumped to 5,329. 

The county also has the highest death toll in the state as of Tuesday, with 110 deaths from COVID-19 reported. It also has the highest number of outbreaks at nursing homes. There have been 252 outbreaks with 48 deaths at those facilities as of Monday. 

This story may update.

Contact Justin Vicory at 769-572-1418 or jvicory@gannett.com. Follow @justinvicory on Twitter.