As college students come back, Starkville is taking the next step on the mask ordinance

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) After the picture of crowds in Starkville showing people wearing no masks and no social distancing went viral, city leaders are highly enforcing masks and will issue citations.

And just after one week, Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill is already seeing a change. Citations will be given to anyone who is not following the mask and social distancing guidelines.

Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill said they didn’t have to shut down any restaurants this past weekend, and there were little to no citations.

“if you go into a restaurant once you sit down you can take your mask off, that allows you to eat and converse with whoever you are with,” said Spruill. “If you ger tup to go to the restroom or if you get up to leave, then the mask goes back on. And the restaurants are being very sure by encouraging their patrons to do that, and actually require them, and I think some of them are even supplying masks if somebody doesn’t have one.”

Which is exactly what Central Station Grill is doing.

“We offer them a disposable mask, and if they don’t have a mask we have to, unfortunately, tell them we cant serve them, but we can get them a curbside order, and we will bring it to their car,” said Terry Long, General Manager at Central Station Grill.

Long said they want to be welcoming to every demographic and age group as possible.

“So I think for a business like us, it is important to have masks available and just follow the guidelines that CDC requires,” said Long.

Spruill said masks are very simple, and all you have to do is wear them.”

“I mean it’s not a choice,” said Spruill. “Now if your choice is to not go out and not be in public or to be outside and be socially distanced, but if you are going inside a business that serves the public, you are going to wear a mask or you’re not going to go in.”

All restaurants and bars are required to follow the CDC guidelines.