Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Lafayette County added to Gov. Reeves’s tougher restrictions

On Monday, Nov. 24, Gov. Tate Reeves issued Executive Order 1532 which added Lafayette County to the list of counties that have jurisdiction-specific measures to address and further limit person to person contact and other health and safety measures to further disrupt the spread of the COVID-19 virus within those counties.

• Face Coverings: Every person shall wear a face covering, covering the nose and mouth, when inside a business, school, building or other indoor space open to the public whenever it is not possible to maintain a minimum of six feet of social distancing from another person not in the same household. See Executive Order 1527 for a list of exceptions.
• Group Gatherings (Social Distancing IS NOT Possible): Public and private social gatherings and recreational activities shall be limited to groups of no more than 10 people in a single indoor space or groups of no more than 50 people in an outdoor space where individuals not in the same household are in close proximity (less than 6 feet) to each other. This limitation does not apply to religious entities, voting precincts, students in classrooms or gatherings governed by other capacity limitations contained in Executive Order 1525.

EO 1532 shall be effective at 8:00 a.m. on Nov. 25, 2020, until 5:00 p.m. on Dec. 11, 2020.

Isolation and Quarantine Orders from MS State Department of Health

On Nov. 17, Dr. Thomas Dobbs of the Mississippi State Department of Health provided an updated COVID-19 ISOLATION ORDER and a new COVID-19 QUARANTINE ORDER requiring a 14 day quarantine period from last exposure for all household contacts to a person with COVID-19.

COVID-19 Free Testing

The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) has FREE testing available in every county for college and university students, faculty and staff. This offer includes symptomatic and asymptomatic testing. You can be tested free of charge at any county health department testing locations listed on this page, or daily at the free testing site in Jackson. Testing is offered at these locations only on scheduled days (see complete list of locations and testing days here). You will need to make an appointment before you visit by filling out an online questionnaire. You will receive an appointment regardless of whether you have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in contact with someone who is infected. When completing the online questionnaire, if you are asymptomatic be sure to provide answers through the fourth question, which asks, “Are you a student, faculty, or staff member of a Mississippi college or university?” When you respond “yes,” you will have options to choose a location and select a date and time.

Residence halls operations during the holidays

1. Close the windows.
2. Open the blinds and curtains to let the sun in (unless you’re on the ground floor).
3. Unplug appliances, including cleaning out fridges and letting them defrost.
4. Take out the trash.
5. Take anything you’ll need over the break.
6. Turn off the lights.
7. Checkout at the front desk with your Ole Miss ID.

The Department of Student Housing will continue offering isolation and quarantine spaces to on-campus residents after classes end and through the holiday break. Please contact Student Housingfor more information.