WREG.com

Governor says Mississippi not ‘dictator’ on setting virus limits

TUPELO, MS - NOVEMBER 01: Mississippi Lieutenant Governor and Republican Gubernatorial candidate Tate Reeves speaks to reporters before appearing with President Donald Trump at a "Keep America Great" campaign rally at BancorpSouth Arena on November 1, 2019 in Tupelo, Mississippi. Trump is campaigning in Mississippi ahead of state elections where Reeves is in a close race with Democrat Jim Hood. (Photo by Brandon Dill/Getty Images)

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves says he’s rejecting “dictator models like China” to strictly control people’s movements to try to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

Mississippi reported its second and third confirmed deaths from the virus on Wednesday.


But testing remains limited, so it’s unclear whether the outbreak has caused other deaths without being identified as the reason.

Reeves issued an executive order Tuesday telling restaurants to close their dining rooms.

Several other governors have issued stay-at-home orders, but Reeves hasn’t.

Some cities and counties in Mississippi are setting their own restrictions, including curfews.