Governor urges residents to avoid huge gatherings during holiday weekend

Gov.

Tate Reeves is urging residents to continue the fight against COVID-19 as the Labor Day weekend approaches.

BREAKING NEWS THANK YOU ALL FORBEING HERE TODAY ON WEDNESDAYHUMP DAY.ON THE WEDNESDAY BEFORE LABORDAY I DO WANT TO JUST BRIEFLYWELCOME.DR. DOBBS AND MAC HERE TODAYTHERE WITH ME AND GOING TO GIVETHEIR REPORTS, BUT I DID WANT TOTELL YOU SOME OF THE NUMBERSTHAT I AM LOOKING AT.WE HAD 781 CASES TODAY THAT’S INCOMPARISON TO 904 ON LASTWEDNESDAY.ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE’VELEARNED THROUGHOUT.THIS PANDEMIC IS IS TO NOT GETOVERLY EXCITED ON THE WEEKENDSWHEN THE NUMBERS AREPARTICULARLY LOW AND NOT TOO.OVERLY EXCITED IN THE MIDDLE OFTHE WEEK WHEN THE NUMBERS AREPARTICULARLY HIGH.I THINK IT’S CRITICAL THAT WELOOK AT THINGS OVER A SEVEN DAYMOVING AVERAGE.I ALSO THINK IT’S VERY IMPORTANTTHAT WE COMPARE LIKE DAYSBECAUSE WE KNOW THAT ON THEACTUAL DAILY CASE REPORTS THERECAN BE WIDE VARIABILITY BASEDUPON WHEN PRIVATE LABS ARETURNING THEIR THEIR NUMBERS INTHEM.YOU ALL KNOW THAT I SPEND A LOTMORE TIME LOOKING AT THEDEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WEBSITE ANDTHEIR DATA AS IT RELATES TO THEDATE OF ON SAY ONSET OF ILLNESSBECAUSE THAT GIVES US A MUCHBETTER INDICATOR, BUT IT IS ALSOSOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD ALLLOOK AT AND CONSIDER AS ONE OFMANY DATA POINTS TOTAL NUMBER OFCASES AND SO WE WERE DOWN ABOUT15% THIS WEDNESDAY COMPARED TOLAST WEDNESDAY, WHICH ISPOSITIVE MOVEMENT AGAIN, BUTWHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR SEVEN-DAYAVERAGE, THIS IS EVEN MOREIMPORTANT ARE SEVEN DAY AVERAGEYESTERDAY WAS CASES TODAY ATTHAT OBVIOUSLY COMPARES TO THE1381 CASES SEVEN-DAY AVERAGETHAT WE HAD ON JULY THE 29TH.THAT IS A VERY POSITIVE MOVEMENTIN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE HAD NEARLYONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED ANDFIFTY MISSISSIPPIANSHOSPITALIZED AT THE PEAK ANDTHAT INCLUDES BY THE WAY JUSTFOR YOUR OWN AND KNOWLEDGE THEFACT THAT THAT THAT INCLUDESBOTH CONFIRMED IT’S TWO LINES ONTHAT CHART THAT WE ALL LOOK ATAND I SEE SOME OF YOU SHAKINGYOUR HEAD.YES, YOU KNOW WHAT I’M TALKINGABOUT AND THAT NUMBER WAS DOWNTO UNDER 800 YESTERDAY.AND SO AGAIN, THAT’S VERYPOSITIVE MOVEMENT TOTAL NUMBEROF PATIENTS IN ICU BEDS ANDMISSISSIPPI PEAKED AT 337 ANDLATE JULY AND EARLY AUGUST.THE NUMBER WAS DOWN BELOW 200 AT196 YESTERDAY AGAIN, VERYPOSITIVE MOVEMENT.AND THEN OF COURSE WE HAVETALKED ABOUT VENTILATORS THE THEFIRST FEW MONTHS OF THISPANDEMIC THE THE NUMBER ONE WORDSAID ACROSS AMERICA ACROSS THEGLOBE WAS DO WE HAVE ENOUGHVENTILATORS?EVERYONE WAS SCRAMBLING WE HAVEWE KNOW IN MISSISSIPPI ANDEXCESS OF 600 VENTILATORSAVAILABLE.WE CURRENTLY HAVE A HUNDRED ANDSEVENTEEN PATIENTS.ON VENTILATORS THROUGHOUTMISSISSIPPI, AND SO THATEQUIPMENT WILL NOT BE A FACTORIN US ACCOMPLISHING OUR GOAL.LET ME REMIND ALL OF MY FELLOWMISSISSIPPIANS.OUR GOAL IS NOT TO ERADICATE ORCOMPLETELY ELIMINATE THE VIRUS.ALTHOUGH WE WOULD LOVE TO BEABLE TO DO SO, WE KNOW THAT’SNOT A REALISTIC GOAL OR AREALISTIC EXPECTATION.BUT WHAT IS IS TO ENSURE THATEVERY SINGLE MISSISSIPPI AND THEGETS THE VIRUS THEY CAN GETBETTER WITH QUALITY CARE THATTHEY ACTUALLY RECEIVE THATQUALITY CARE.WE KNOW THAT THE BIGGESTMITIGATING.ACTOR FOR INSTANCE ONVENTILATORS IS NOT THE NUMBER OFVENTILATORS WE HAVE INMISSISSIPPI WITH A NUMBER OFPEOPLE WITHIN OUR HEALTH CARESPACE THAT HAVE THE ABILITY TOOPERATE THOSE VENERATE ERRSTHOSE VENTILATORS AND SO WE’REGOING TO CONTINUE TO MONITORTHAT BUT ALL OF THESE BOTHLEADING AND LAGGING INDICATORSARE ALL VERY POSITIVE FOR OUR IMENTIONED THE THE ARE NOT NUMBERA COUPLE OF DAYS AGO ITCONTINUES TO DECLINE.IT WAS AT 0.88 THE MOST RECENTNUMBER I LOOKED AT WHICH TIED USFOR THE SECOND BEST.NUMBER IN AMERICA AGAIN TODDWITH THE RHODE ISLAND, ANDTHAT’S SOMETHING THAT IS VERYGOOD.THAT’S A LEADING INDICATOR.WE’RE THAT SHOULD SUGGEST WHAT’SGOING TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE,BUT I SAY ALL OF THAT ALL OFTHOSE NUMBERS.BECAUSE OF WHAT WE KNOW ISCOMING UP THIS WEEKEND.WE CANNOT GIVE UP THE GAMES ANDTHE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE’VE MADEOVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS.WITH LABOR DAY WEEKEND COMINGBEFORE US WE KNOW THAT WE NEEDTO BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS.GOING INTO LABOR DAY WEEKEND.I’M ASKING EVERY SINGLE ONE OFYOU TO BE ON YOUR GUARD.WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.IF WE COMMIT TO IT AND IF WEWORK TOGETHER, WE CAN CONTINUETO SEE DECLINING NUMBERS WHICHWILL ALLOW US TO GET BACK MORETOWARDS NORMAL.BUT PLEASE THIS WEEKEND.HAVE A COOKOUT IN YOUR BACKYARDWITH YOUR KIDS.ONLY THE YOUR KIDS THE THAT YOULIVE WITH.RELAX, TAKE IT EASY.BUT PLEASE DO YOUR BEST TO AVOIDHUGE GATHERINGS.AND IF WE CAN ALL DO THAT WE CANGET THROUGH THIS SAFELY.NOW I KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT ANEASY ASK.I KNOW THAT THIS ASK IS NOT FUNBECAUSE WE AS A PEOPLE IN OURSTATE.WE’RE PEOPLE PEOPLE.WE LIKE TO GET OUT AND HAVE AGOOD TIME.WE LIKE TO SEE OUR FRIENDS ANDOUR NEIGHBORS.BUT THE NEXT EIGHT TO TEN DAYSpARE CRITICAL IF WE’RE GOING TOCONTINUE TO SEE A DECLINE.IN BOTH ARE LEADING IN ARELAGGING INDICATORS IF WE’REGOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE ADECLINE IN TOTAL NUMBERS.WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE ADECLINE.IN HOSPITALIZATIONS THE NEXTEIGHT TO TEN DAYS ARE CRITICAL.WHEN OTHER EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENTTHAT I WANT TO MAKE TODAY ISWORKING WITH THE MISSISSIPPIDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.AND THE MONEY’S GRANTED US BYTHE CARES ACT FROM THE FEDERALGOVERNMENT.WE ARE LAUNCHING OUR 19 MILLIONDOLLAR EFFORT TO PROVIDE MOREPPE AND MORE TESTING MONIES TOASSISTED LIVING FACILITIESAMBULATORY SURGERY CENTERSALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA CAREFACILITIES AND OTHER MEDICALFACILITIES OUTSIDE OF HOSPITALS.THIS WILL BE A REIMBURSEMENTPROGRAM AS IS ALLOWED FOR UNDERTHE CARES ACT.I DO BELIEVE IT’S GOING TO HAVEA WIDE FINANCIAL IMPACT FOR THATINDUSTRY AND MY GREATEST HOPE ISTHAT IT ALLOWS FOR?INCREASED TESTING AND INCREASEDRESOURCES TO HELP MORE FAMILIESSEE LOVED ONES IN NURSING HOMES,BUT ALSO TO BE ABLE TO DO SO INA SAFE RESPONSIBLE WAY.WE KNOW WE HAVE TO PROTECT THOSEMOST VULNERABLE AMONGST US FROMCOVID-19.WE KNOW THOSE THAT ARE OLDER ORMORE VULNERABLE.MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THIS VIRUS.WE ALSO KNOW THOSE THAT ARELIVING IN MANY OF THESEFACILITIES THAT HAVEPRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS.THEY HAVE COMORBIDITIES OR MOREVULNERABLE THAN OTHERS.WE ALSO KNOW THAT LONELINESS ISA POWERFUL DISEASE.IT CAN BE DEADLY AND WE HAVE TODO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GUARDAGAINST THAT IS WELL.EACH OF THESE FACILITIES HAS THEOPTION AT THIS POINT IN THISPANDEMIC TO PROVIDE SOME SAFEWAYS FOR VISITATION, BUTHOPEFULLY THESE RESOURCES CANHELP THEM GET WHAT THEY NEED TOMAKE IT SAFE AND POSSIBLE IF THEFACILITIES HAVE NOT ALREADY BEENABLE TO DO SO.IF YOU ARE AN OPERATOR LOOKINGFOR MORE INFORMATION, YOU CANGET IT FROM THE MISSISSIPPIDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ATMISSISSIPPI DOT ORG.THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HASWORKED.SO VERY H