Labor Day party attended by hundreds of young people, ‘unlawful’ mayor says

Published 4:45 pm Tuesday, September 8, 2020

A Labor Day block party attended by hundreds of young people in Mississippi’s capital city violated the state’s restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

The party reportedly occurred on Dixon Road in Jackson.

“It really makes me angry, how selfish it is,” Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said Tuesday. “Right now, we’re just making progress. We’re trying to let nursing home folks get visited and we have people who are dying … just to have such little patience and such restraint. If someone is having a party, don’t go, and if you’re putting up a party know that you’re breaking the law. I’m disappointed.”

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Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said the party was “unlawful.”

“It is distressing to see people in our community gathering in ways that dramatically increase the risk of spreading COVID-19 to others – especially as our city is already hard hit by the virus,” he said. ‘We must look out for our elders, and for our vulnerable family members and neighbors of all ages. We must act with caution and care because unfortunately, our actions will help us save lives or cause others to lose lives.”