Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed Executive Order 1486 on May 15, 2020 which will allow more businesses to open.
Included in this order, restaurants that do not serve alcohol can now open dining rooms 24 hours a day if they choose. Dance Studios, Fishing Tournaments, and Tattoo Parlors are also allowed to reopen.
Additionally, Executive Order 1486 removes limitations on the hours that parks can operate and allows the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks or local authorities to set hours.
“We made a mistake,” Reeves said. “I made a mistake. I made a mistake because I identified essential versus nonessential. There is no such thing and I’ve learned this. I’ve learned a lot but I’ve learned this over the last several months. There is no such thing as a nonessential business to the business owner and the employees that depend on that business being functional and operational and paying them so they can provide for their family.”
The Governor did, however, set strict guidelines for Tattoo Parlors, including:
i. Prior to resuming operations, the tattoo parlor, including areas not open to the public, shall be deep cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized.
ii. Pursuant to Paragraph l(h)(ii) of Executive Order 1477, tattoo parlors shall take all reasonable measures to ensure compliance with the Mississippi State Department of Health’s and CDC’s regulations, orders and guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including, but not limited to: social distancing; sending sick employees home; actively encouraging sick employees to stay home; separating and sending home employees who appear to have respiratory illness symptoms; adopting and enforcing regular and proper hand-washing and personal hygiene protocols; and daily screening of employees for COVID-19 related symptoms before beginning their shift.
iii. Tattoo parlors shall conduct a daily screening of all employees at the beginning of their shift. Such daily screening shall include the following questions, and any employee answering any question in the affirmative shall be sent home:
- Have you been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in
the past 14 days? - Are you experiencing a cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat?
- Have you had a fever in the last 48 hours?
- Have you had new loss oftaste or smell?
- Have you had new loss oftaste or smell?
- Have you had vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours?
iv. All employees shall be required to report any symptoms of COVID-19 to their supervisor, and any employee who exhibits any of the symptoms of COVID-19 during their shift shall be sent home immediately and advised to consult with their physician.
v. All employees shall be provided training regarding minimizing the spread of COVID-19, including reinforcement of proper sanitation, hand washing, cough and sneeze etiquette, and using PPE.
vi. Break rooms shall be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, and the number of employees in the break room shall be limited to allow for strict social distancing (a minimum of six feet between employees and no gathering of more than ten employees).
vii. Appropriate PPE shall be worn by all employees based on their duties and responsibilities and in adherence to state and local regulations and guidelines. Every employee who comes into direct contact with customers shall be provided a cloth mask and required to wear the mask while on duty. Employees are encouraged to wear face shields when serving a customer.
viii. Every employee shall wear disposable gloves when serving a customer and change gloves between customers.
ix. All linens shall be stored in an airtight container.
x. All linen hampers and trash containers shall be cleaned and disinfected daily, and all such containers must have a lid.
xi. Employees shall wash their hands with soapy, warm water for a minimum of twenty seconds between every customer.
xii. Services shall be provided on an appointment basis only. No walk-in customers are permitted.
xiii. The use of technology solutions to minimize person-to-person contact is
encouraged, including mobile appointment systems, text upon arrival, and
contactless payment options.
xiv. Signage shall be posted at each entrance stating no customer with a fever or other symptom of COVID-19 is permitted in the tattoo parlor.
xv. Customers shall be screened for illness prior to their entry into the tattoo parlor.
xvi. Customers shall wear a face covering, covering nose and mouth, at all times while inside the tattoo parlor.
xvii. Tattooing and piercing of the mouth and nose area is prohibited.
xviii. All waiting areas shall be closed, and customers shall not be permitted to congregate outside of the tattoo parlor prior to their appointment. Customers shall wait in their vehicle until their appointment time.
xix. Chairs/work stations shall be rearranged to ensure at least six feet of separation between customers.
xx. The number of customers in the tattoo parlor shall be limited to one customer per employee.
xxi. Chairs and work stations shall be sanitized and disinfected after each use.
xxii. All high-touch areas, including all door handles shall be sanitized, at a minimum, once every two hours.
xxiii. Hand sanitizer shall be placed at all points of entry and exit, and customers shall be required to sanitize their hands upon entry into and exit from the tattoo parlor.
xxiv. The tattoo parlor shall be deep cleaned daily.
The full text of Executive Order 1486 may be found here.
