BILOXI, Miss — The city of Biloxi, MS is planning to institute a nighttime curfew to keep more people off the streets in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The curfew is set to begin April 2 at 11 p.m. and will run indefinitely. With exceptions for essential workers such as police officers and government officials, the government is prohibiting anybody from being on the streets in Biloxi from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. every night.
The mayor specifically cited Biloxi's proximity to New Orleans in the executive order authorizing the curfew, pointing out that more than 25% of Louisiana's cases have come from the Crescent City.
Mississippi has more than 900 cases reported and 20 deaths as of Tuesday. Louisiana has more than 5,200 cases and 239 deaths.
Emergency orders in both states have shut down businesses such as hair salons and tattoo parlors and have effectively shuttered more because they are not considered essential services.
Only one city in Louisiana has established a curfew so far. Patterson, a city of about 6,000 people in St. Mary Parish, announced a dusk to dawn curfew Tuesday, the same day as Biloxi.
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