It appears the Warren County Board of Supervisors are moving to a decision next Monday to extend shelter-in-place orders and business restrictions to at least May 4.

During a conference call Monday, supervisors expressed support for extending the measures that were originally set to expire Monday, April 20.

County attorney Blake Teller is expected to bring a resolution to the supervisors’ next official meeting Monday that would extend the order and restrictions.

Warren County Board of Supervisors President Dr. Jeff Holland said given the expected surge of cases and demands on healthcare facilities this week, extending the orders makes sense.

District 5 Supervisor Kelle Barfield said extending the orders is also a smart move given the transition many employees have made to teleworking in recent weeks.

As of Monday, there are 14 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Warren County.

Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said as of Monday morning he is not looking to extend the city’s shelter-in-place order or business restrictions past Monday, April 20 at 5 a.m.

He said he would wait for guidance from state, federal and health officials on when and if to extend the city’s orders and restrictions.

The county’s order that directed shelter-in-place, additional closures and business restrictions included:

• Most places that have public assembly such as funeral homes, theaters, churches, places of entertainment, and other places where the public gathers from time to time have already adopted policies of closing, or are already limiting the number of persons allowed inside at the same time. Regardless, there should not be gatherings of more than 10 people at an event. None of the above-mentioned places shall allow gatherings of more than 10 people for as long as this resolution and order is in effect.
• Bars, nightclubs, lounges, and taverns shall close for the duration of this resolution and order.
• Restaurants shall close dine-in services, but may provide food for pick-up, curbside service, delivery, or drive-through services to the extent allowed by law. There shall not be more than 10 employees and customers on the premises of the above-mentioned businesses at any one time. These establishments must close all pick-up, curbside service, delivery, or drive-through services by 11 p.m. and remain closed until 5 a.m.
• Retail and convenience stores shall allow no more than 10 persons inside the store and no more than 10 persons on the parking lot/gas service areas of the premises at any one time.
• The county-operated Clear Creek Golf Course shall be closed for the duration of this resolution and order.
• The county-operated Public Library shall be closed for the duration of this resolution and order.
• The public bathroom facilities at county public facilities, including without limitation, public boat ramps shall be locked for the duration of this resolution and order. Warren County public boat ramp facilities to lakes of Warren County shall be closed to the public with the exception that essential businesses, such as commercial fishermen, may have access in order to continue essential operations consistent with the above referenced Executive Orders of the Governor of the State of Mississippi.
• The Warren County Courthouse, and offices located therein, shall remain open for business. The Warren County Courthouse building, however, shall be locked, and access to the public shall be limited to essential business reasonably necessary to be conducted and shall be conducted only by appointment made with the particular office with which any person has essential business reasonably necessary to conduct. A drop box may be placed at one of the entrances to the courthouse in order to facilitate delivery of documents to the offices located therein. Signs shall be placed, or remain in place, advising the public of the phone numbers of the offices with which the public may have business to conduct so that appointments may be made telephonically.
• All other county facilities and offices, including without limitation, the offices of the Board of Supervisors, shall continue to operate and conduct its essential functions, subject, however, to the building doors being locked and access to the public being limited to those who are granted permissive access by appointment only.

We will have additional coverage of this expected decision shortly.