Masks must continue to be worn in Oxford — even though the statewide mask mandate expired

While Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves — who recently tested negative for the coronavirus after a White House visit — let the mask mandate expire on Sept. 30, the Board of Aldermen in Oxford voted last week to keep it in place within city limits. 

The vote passed 5-1 in favor of requiring masks be worn inside all restaurants and businesses in Oxford. 

“I believe that these masks are critical for us indoors, and the majority of our citizens feel more comfortable going into businesses and continuing to keep our economy going strong if masks are present,” Mayor Robyn Tannehill said. 

Reeves said that although he is not extending the mask mandate, he considers wearing masks “wise,” and he is still expecting people in Mississippi to wear them. However, he said there was a difference between an action being wise and being a government mandate. 

“We should not use the heavy hand of government more than it is justified,” Reeves said at the news conference. “We have to tailor our actions to the current threat, and make sure they do not go beyond what is reasonable.”