Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has lifted the mask mandate and will allow businesses to operate at full capacity following a nearly year-long set of rules put in place by the state to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Reeves’ remarks on the matter were made during a briefing on Tuesday where he announced the new executive order that would replace the expiring one at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

“Today, I signed what I expect will be one of my last executive orders regarding COVID-19. Our hospitalizations have plummeted, and our case numbers have fallen dramatically as well,” Reeves said. “In fact, our case numbers have fallen to the point where no county meets the original criteria for a mask mandate.”

Reeves also told residents of the state to continue wearing masks if they would like to and urged them to listen to health officials in the state, referring to their insight as “valuable” going forward. Reeves said:

Everyone should continue to listen to [Thomas] Dobbs and other health advisors for the best possible wisdom regarding how you can personally stem any risk of catching COVID. Their insight is valuable. The only rules that will remain in this order are a capacity limit of 50 percent on indoor arenas, and those that govern K-12 schools.

State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said:

We’re not out of the woods. People still need to be careful. We are fortunate to have new tools. We have vaccines available that are highly effective, not only at preventing illness and severe illness, but a growing body of evidence that it does also prevent transmission, further reinforcing how important it is for folks to get vaccinated.

Dobbs also stated during the conference that the Mississippi State Department of Health would be issuing new public health guidelines for people over 65 and those who are 16 and older with chronic medical conditions.

“We are strongly recommending that you do not attend any social activities, or any mass gatherings at all, until you get vaccinated,” Dobbs said.

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