COVID-19 in Mississippi

As people are getting tested, the number of positive cases of the coronavirus is increasing.

STUDYING SCHOOLRE-OPENING PLANS FROM DISTRICTSACROSS THESTATE AND GIVING NO INDICATIONTHAT MORERESTRICTIONS ARE ON THE WAY.

BUTOTHERS SAYS THE STATE IS IN ADIRE SITUATION.STATE REPRESENTATIVE EARL BANKSHAS SPENT THE PAST 18 DAYS INTHE HOSPITAL WITH COVID 19.HE WAS JUST BEING RELEASEDMONDAY...ANDSAYS THE EXPERIENCE WAS NOT ONLYLICHANGING BUT IMPRESSION CHANGINGFOR HIM REGARDING THE VIRUS.VOICE OF: REP.

EARL BANKS/COVID19 PATIENT:7 THEY SHOWED ME IHADDOUBLE PNEUMONIA WHEN I ARRIVEDHERE NOW SCOTT INEVER HAD A FEVER HIGHER THAN99.4 .

SO ALL THAT STUFF THEYTELL YOU ABOUT A TEMP OF 102,10OR WHATEVER.

TO ME THAT ISBOLOGNE!BANKS IS ONE OF NOWMORE THAN 60 THOUSAND CONFIRMEDCORONAVIRUS CASES IN THE STATE.OVER THE WEEKEND, DOCTOR ASHISHJHAWITH HARVARD'S GLOBAL HEALTHINSTITUTE SAIDMISSISSIPPI WAS APPROACHINGBEING THEWORST IN THE NATION FOR POSITIVECOVID-19CASES.JHA WAS CRITICAL OF THE STATE'SFAILURE TOINSTITUTE A STATEWIDE MASKMANDATE ANDMORE RESTRICTIONS.DR. ALAN JONES/UMMC ASST.

VICECHANCELLOR FOR CLINICAL AFFAIRS:THE MORE WE KEEP HEADINGIN THE WRONG DIRECTION ONPOSITIIVITY RATES ANDHOSPITALIZATIONS THERE MORE WEHAVE A CHANCE OF OVERWHELMINGTHE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.

DOCTORALAN JONES SAYS WHILE UMMC IS ATMAX CAPACITY FOR COVID 19 CASES,HE SAYS THESITUATION HAS NOT GOTTEN WORSEOVERTHE PAST FEW WEEKS, RATHER...REMAINEDABOUT THE SAMEHE DOES BELIEVE ADDING FURTHERRESTRICTIONS WOULD HELP.DR. ALAN JONES/UMMC ASST.

VICECHANCELLOR: CERTAINLY IF YOUCOULD LIMIT GATHERINGS HAVE MOREUNIVERSAL MASK WEARING AND SHUTDOWN THE MORECONCERNING AREAS OF POTENTIALSPREAD SUCH AS BARS ITHINK THAT WOULD HELP SOME .

BUT THE GOVERNOR HAS STOPPEDSHORT OF ISSUING A STATEWIDEMASK MANDATE, OPTING INSTEAD TOSELECT COUNTIES THAT HAVE APEAK NUMBER OF CASES.DESPITE CRITICISM, THE GOVERNORHAS ALSOBEEN RELUCTANT TO FURTHERRESTRICTBUSINESSES, ALLOWING BARS TOREMAIN OPEN BUT HAVE TO CLOSE BY11PM.LIVE IN JACKSON SCOTT SIMMONS 16WAPT NEWS.

STATE HEALTH OFFICER DOCTORTHOMAS DOBBSSAYS HE IS CONCERNED W