Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves extended the state’s Safe Return to 5 p.m. Sept. 30, which keeps in place social distancing measures, but a few rules were amended to relax some restrictions.

Face coverings are still required in public spaces when social distancing is still not possible.

The changes were announced in a Facebook announcement Monday morning.

Group gathering limitations are now at no more than 10 indoors or 50 outdoors when social distancing is not possible. If people are able to social distance, group gatherings are set at no more than 20 indoors or 100 outdoors, according to the new rules.

Maximum capacity has been increased to 75% for retail businesses, restaurants, gyms and seated dinners at reception halls and conference centers. Party sizes in restaurants are now limited to 10 people per table, and gyms can be open 24 hours a day, according to the new rules.

The governor cited the state’s flattening the curve on new COVID-19 cases in easing the restrictions.

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 145 new COVID-19 cases and nine related deaths on Monday.

The state reported 254 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday and 445 new cases on Saturday.

Monday’s new cases pushed the state’s total past the 90,000 mark to 90,018. There have been 2,706 COVID-19 related deaths in the state.

All nine deaths reported Monday by the Department of Health occurred between Aug. 26 and Sept. 4 and were identified from death death certificate reports.

One of those deaths occurred in Newton County, bringing its total to 22. Newton had two new COVID-19 cases reported on Monday for a total of 732.

There were 10 new COVID-19 cases reported in Lauderdale County, which had no new deaths reported on Monday. The county has had 1,952 COVID-19 cases and 119 related deaths since the state began tracking the virus in March.

There are 136 active outbreaks of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities, with 41 new cases among residents and eight deaths reported on Monday.

Clarke County, Kemper County and Neshoba County had no new cases on Monday. Their totals remain 508, 281 and 1,497 respectively.

Dr. Thomas Dobbs, the state’s health officer, is holding an hour-long Facebook live meeting for state residents at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Questions may be submitted in advance.

Cumulative Cases and Deaths by County

Totals of all reported COVID-19 cases for 2020, including those in long-term care (LTC) facilities.

The numbers in this table are provisional. County case numbers and deaths may change as investigation finds new or additional information. The data provided below is the most current available.

County	Total Cases	Total Deaths	Total LTC Facility Cases	Total LTC Facility Deaths
Adams	863	32	47	12
Alcorn	732	9	18	2
Amite	291	10	14	2
Attala	619	25	90	20
Benton	206	1	2	0
Bolivar	1708	60	166	22
Calhoun	502	12	25	4
Carroll	303	12	45	9
Chickasaw	624	24	43	13
Choctaw	174	5	3	0
Claiborne	447	16	43	9
Clarke	508	37	57	15
Clay	547	16	14	1
Coahoma	1073	24	79	2
Copiah	1137	33	46	4
Covington	776	19	22	4
De Soto	5173	53	63	13
Forrest	2281	68	170	40
Franklin	182	3	3	1
George	729	13	27	6
Greene	326	16	36	6
Grenada	1014	33	104	19
Hancock	540	20	9	4
Harrison	3625	69	237	29
Hinds	6820	151	394	62
Holmes	1075	57	100	20
Humphreys	364	15	21	6
Issaquena	99	3	0	0
Itawamba	692	20	72	16
Jackson	3297	66	75	7
Jasper	526	13	1	0
Jefferson	232	9	12	3
Jefferson Davis	315	10	3	1
Jones	2298	76	179	36
Kemper	281	15	39	9
Lafayette	1958	39	122	28
Lamar	1536	33	25	11
Lauderdale	1952	119	250	69
Lawrence	421	12	26	2
Leake	925	33	17	0
Lee	2472	64	153	30
Leflore	1322	79	189	45
Lincoln	1025	52	142	32
Lowndes	1365	56	96	32
Madison	3136	85	238	45
Marion	823	30	73	9
Marshall	1052	14	31	6
Monroe	1146	65	162	50
Montgomery	438	19	47	9
Neshoba	1497	102	111	37
Newton	732	22	34	7
Noxubee	539	15	19	4
Oktibbeha	1694	47	191	31
Panola	1367	26	13	2
Pearl River	823	49	71	20
Perry	374	15	11	2
Pike	1185	48	80	21
Pontotoc	1168	15	7	1
Prentiss	742	17	48	3
Quitman	354	5	0	0
Rankin	3075	72	153	18
Scott	1141	24	17	3
Sharkey	250	11	43	8
Simpson	994	40	104	18
Smith	511	13	54	8
Stone	343	11	50	7
Sunflower	1338	42	63	11
Tallahatchie	703	16	24	2
Tate	914	36	32	12
Tippah	611	16	5	0
Tishomingo	629	34	96	24
Tunica	463	13	12	2
Union	952	23	46	11
Walthall	579	24	67	13
Warren	1354	48	113	23
Washington	2126	71	110	23
Wayne	863	21	59	10
Webster	323	13	52	11
Wilkinson	290	17	20	5
Winston	717	19	40	11
Yalobusha	405	13	35	7
Yazoo	1012	23	46	6
Total	90,018	2,706	5,656	1,126

–Mississippi State Department of Health