![]() ![]() That bump could easily turn into a surge if people ditch face masks and social distancing. Scott Strome said he was expecting to see at least a bump in cases across the region. In Memphis, which serves as a tri-state medical hub, Dr. Most of Mississippi’s public universities are bypassing Spring Break in favor of an early end to the spring semester however, K-12 schools in much of the state will break this week or next. Public health officials are holding their breath as Spring Break season begins and travel increases. “We are not done with COVID,” Dobbs said. State public health officials are still pushing coronavirus prevention measures, making the case that even if Mississippians aren’t required to mask, it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t. ![]() As of this past week, Mississippi did not meet WHO guidelines for reopening, with a 10.81 percent positivity rate for COVID tests, well above the 5 percent threshold, according to the John Hopkins COVID Resource Center. However, Mississippi is still showing signs of community transmission. Hospitalizations and nursing home outbreaks are down significantly. By comparison, Mississippi hit a single day peak of 3,500 new cases on Jan. The seven-day average for new cases was 424 as of Wednesday. Earlier this week, Mississippi State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs said the improvement was driven primarily by reduced travel after the holidays, masking, and social distancing. Like the rest of the country, Mississippi has seen a dramatic decrease in COVID cases since earlier this winter. Reeves’ office did not respond to requests for comment for this story. The state capital Jackson and the college towns of Starkville and Hattiesburg are among those keeping or reinstating mask mandates and capacity restrictions. Some Mississippi cities are making a different call. The leaders of the local hospital, which Shelton referenced in the same outlet, said the lack of mask requirements were likely to erode their use-and that they would have preferred for the state mandate to stay in place. In comments to a Tupelo newspaper, Shelton previously said he was concerned a city mandate would put restaurants and bars at a competitive disadvantage. “The Governor’s premature recension of the state mask mandate is akin to turning the water off while still fighting a fire.” “COVID doesn’t recognize the city limits,” Shelton told The Daily Beast in an email. Her home city of Tupelo will continue to require masks at city-owned facilities but will not re-implement a city-wide mandate after local health officials advised it would be ineffective, according to Mayor Jason Shelton. “I’m asking my staff and customers to mask.”īut with millions of residents unvaccinated and over a thousand Americans dying a day at the hands of COVID-19, Thompson feels far from secure. “I’m not going to take my mask off,” Thompson said. Business owners like Thompson retain power over their own property no matter their location. Unlike in Texas, Mississippi municipalities do have the option to implement their own restrictions. Masks are requested but not required in the resort’s entertainment center, restaurants, bars, and pool playground. On the Gulf Coast, Margaritaville Resort Biloxi will celebrate its reopening after hurricane repairs with a big party Friday. Over the weekend, the Daily Mississippian and other media outlets captured photos of bars packed with mostly maskless crowds in Oxford, home of the University of Mississippi. Tate Reeves ended the state mask mandate with 24 hours notice last week. “I think we’re opening up too early,” Thompson told The Daily Beast. ![]()
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