By Louie Graves
News-Leader staff
The 8:30 p.m. – 8:00 a.m. curfew in Howard County and the city of Nashville has been extended until May 16.
County Judge Kevin Smith announced the extension last week and said it was due to continuing threats from the COVID-19 virus.
The water office at Nashville returned to normal operating hours on Monday, April 20, although only the drive-thru will be open.
Nashville Mayor Billy Ray Smith said he hoped by later in the month — when a private company comes here to do testing — that a better idea of the reach of the virus would be known.
He said that the 12-13 persons in the county known to have the virus were in quarantine (See Dr. John Hearnsberger’s update on the virus on page 5A in this issue of the newspaper).
The Nashville City Council will hold its regular meeting for April on Monday, April 30. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. and will be in the Carter Day Training Center to enable social distancing.
Extra steps have been taken to protect inmates at the Howard County Jail from the virus. The inmates are isolated from each other, and extra sanitation steps are being taken.
In addition, jail staff members wear masks and gloves when around the inmates, according to a spokesperson at the facility. Visitations for inmates have been suspended.
Pike County
The curfew in Pike County has been extended to May 18 at 11:59 p.m.
