Local restaurateur temporarily closes lobbies in effort to protect employees because of holiday travelers

Robert Tomey made the decision to close the lobbies of his restaurants in an effort to protect employees from the virus.

Posted: Dec 22, 2020 9:57 AM

Updated: Dec 23, 2020 3:39 PM

Posted By: Chelsea Brown

AMORY, Miss. (WTVA) - The owner and operator of several McDonald's locations in north Mississippi made the decision to temporarily close the lobbies of his restaurants.

A few weeks ago, Robert Tomey, tested positive for the coronavirus and made the decision in an effort to protect his employees.

The sign outside the McDonald's location in Amory on Dec. 21, 2020.

McDonald's location in Amory. Photo Date: Dec. 21, 2020

"It just knocked me to the ground, and I pray no one else gets it," he said of the virus.

The drive-thrus at his restaurants remain open.

He hopes to reopen the lobbies on Jan. 5.

Mississippi Coronavirus Cases

Data is updated nightly.

Cases: 516486

Reported Deaths: 10299

County	Cases	Deaths
Harrison	35042	558
DeSoto	33463	432
Hinds	32797	643
Jackson	24926	392
Rankin	22593	405
Lee	16523	245
Madison	14978	283
Jones	14191	248
Forrest	13852	260
Lauderdale	12326	323
Lowndes	11387	193
Lamar	10713	140
Pearl River	9759	244
Lafayette	8881	143
Hancock	7848	132
Washington	7561	169
Oktibbeha	7234	138
Monroe	7091	179
Pontotoc	7060	110
Warren	6892	178
Panola	6807	135
Neshoba	6753	210
Marshall	6735	142
Bolivar	6472	151
Union	6456	99
Alcorn	5950	108
Pike	5947	157
Lincoln	5544	136
George	5110	80
Prentiss	5101	85
Tippah	4979	83
Itawamba	4903	107
Scott	4794	99
Tate	4786	118
Adams	4784	125
Leflore	4756	144
Yazoo	4584	92
Copiah	4583	95
Simpson	4577	117
Wayne	4437	72
Covington	4353	95
Sunflower	4331	106
Marion	4311	112
Coahoma	4259	110
Leake	4144	91
Newton	3961	82
Tishomingo	3888	94
Grenada	3796	109
Stone	3664	66
Attala	3416	90
Jasper	3415	66
Chickasaw	3191	67
Winston	3188	92
Clay	3139	78
Clarke	3019	95
Calhoun	2889	50
Holmes	2733	89
Smith	2708	52
Yalobusha	2458	47
Tallahatchie	2326	53
Greene	2254	49
Walthall	2221	66
Lawrence	2208	42
Perry	2146	56
Amite	2103	57
Webster	2067	48
Noxubee	1888	43
Montgomery	1827	57
Carroll	1758	41
Jefferson Davis	1746	43
Tunica	1639	39
Benton	1534	39
Kemper	1455	41
Choctaw	1378	27
Claiborne	1348	39
Humphreys	1323	39
Franklin	1266	30
Quitman	1079	28
Wilkinson	1061	39
Jefferson	973	34
Sharkey	653	21
Issaquena	195	7
Unassigned	0	0

Alabama Coronavirus Cases

Cases: 848779

Reported Deaths: 16185

County	Cases	Deaths
Jefferson	116458	2005
Mobile	74460	1384
Madison	53563	738
Shelby	38454	371
Baldwin	38215	589
Tuscaloosa	36172	644
Montgomery	34573	782
Lee	25690	264
Calhoun	22636	520
Morgan	22548	411
Etowah	20075	520
Marshall	18865	318
Houston	17795	426
St. Clair	16968	359
Limestone	16206	220
Cullman	16170	306
Elmore	15952	295
Lauderdale	15093	307
Talladega	14267	302
DeKalb	13095	271
Walker	12180	380
Blount	10791	193
Autauga	10562	157
Jackson	10221	196
Coffee	9440	192
Colbert	9376	210
Dale	9049	192
Tallapoosa	7287	202
Russell	7114	65
Chilton	7098	170
Covington	6973	197
Escambia	6969	144
Franklin	6369	108
Chambers	5810	142
Marion	5446	132
Dallas	5306	210
Pike	5135	109
Clarke	4860	86
Lawrence	4852	130
Winston	4804	110
Geneva	4656	136
Bibb	4364	95
Barbour	3708	80
Butler	3445	101
Marengo	3429	93
Monroe	3385	66
Randolph	3380	67
Pickens	3350	90
Fayette	3322	85
Henry	3212	66
Cherokee	3205	64
Hale	3195	89
Crenshaw	2618	78
Washington	2568	52
Cleburne	2554	60
Lamar	2535	55
Clay	2531	69
Macon	2463	67
Conecuh	1935	62
Coosa	1860	48
Wilcox	1785	38
Lowndes	1784	68
Bullock	1528	45
Perry	1419	40
Sumter	1398	41
Greene	1307	45
Choctaw	946	28
Out of AL	0	0
Unassigned	0	0

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Temperatures return closer to normal for Wednesday with the shower staying south of us for the middle of the week, but rain chances start returning Thursday and could include thunderstorms, some possibly strong by Friday late in the day.