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NATCHEZ — A curfew for all Adams County residents begins at 10 p.m. Wednesday until further notice.

The Natchez-Adams County Emergency Operations Center issued the 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew Tuesday in response to the outbreak of COVID-19.

On Monday, the Adams County Board of Supervisors authorized the curfew in a resolution passed in an emergency meeting.

“Currently, we are taking aggressive measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve; however, this is not enough,” a statement from the EOC said Tuesday. “As the number of cases continues to grow in Mississippi, EOC is encouraging citizens to abide by the curfew unless it is necessary to leave home during curfew hours.”

The curfew does not include essential workers as defined under the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency guidelines.

Essential workers defined in the guidelines include:

• Healthcare workers and caregivers
• Mental Health and Social Service workers
• Pharmacy employees
• Workers supporting groceries, pharmacies and other retail sales of food and beverage products
• Restaurant carryout and quick-serve food operations and food delivery employees
• Farmworkers
•  Electricity and Utility Industry Employees
• Critical Manufacturing Employees (medical supply chains, energy, transportation, food, chemical)
• Petroleum, Natural and Propane Gas Workers
• Transportation and Logistic Workers
• Communications and Information Technology Employees
• Financial Services and Banking Industry

Adams County EMA Director Robert Bradford said the curfew was established to work with the current curfew put in place in Concordia Parish and neighboring Vidalia.

On March 17, Concordia Parish enacted a 10 p.m. to 5 p.m. curfew for nonessential workers. Since then, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has issued a “stay at home” order for the entire state. The “stay at home” order is in place in Louisiana through Sunday, April 12.

Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten, who is a member of the EOC, said he encourages residents to take the curfew seriously.

Patten said deputies would be enforcing the curfew starting Wednesday.

“We are asking people to obey it,” Patten said.

Patten said deputies would be asking people who are not essential workers who are out after the curfew to return home.

“We don’t want it to get to the point of having to issue citations,” Patten said.

Natchez Police Chief Walter Armstrong said the current curfew enacted by the Natchez board of aldermen only addresses those under the age of 17. Armstrong said either the current curfew would need to be changed or a new ordinance created for his officer to enforce.

Armstrong said he thought the Natchez Mayor and Board of Aldermen were expected to meet Tuesday evening to discuss a curfew and other issues related to COVID-19.