A local doctor believes the state's recent increase in coronavirus cases can be traced back to the governor lifting the statewide mask mandate.
Cases, thats almost 500 new cases overnight.
I spoke with one medical professional today and he says the main reason is due to the governor lifting the mask mandate please mask appropriately."
Just 15 days after governor reeves lifted the mask mandate cases are spiking "you can look where the 30th of september is when the mandate was lifted and the graph is just like this."
System chief medical officer of north mississippi medical center dr.jeremy blanchard says the main cause of the spike in mississippi is due to the governor reeves lifting the mask mandate.
"the big thing is people actually listened to it and they quit doing their masking and quit taking it seriously."
And other medical professionals in the state agree.
Including dr. louann woodward uring mississippians to mask up... "we do not have an effective treatment, we do not have an effective vaccination, but we know masking works.
Masking social distancing and hand hygiene are the only three things that work."
Dr. blanchard says he is already seeing an abrupt increase in hospital addmissions.
And he says if people do not return to wearing masks it will only get worse "if we want to avoid being in a really catastrophic situation, i believe.
We have got to have the governor mandate masking, and we have got to adhere to it."
Medical expert dr. blanchard says if mississipians are really going to live up to the name you must wear a mask "so, if we really care about each other, if we're really the hospitality state, then out of respect for everybody who you care about, who you are as a human being and a mississippian mask!
Please mask appropriately."
Dr. blanchard and many other doctors across the state are crying out for communities with and without mask mandates to please wear a mask to allow coronavirus cases and deaths to decrease.
Reporting live in tupelo erin wilson wtva 9 news if you are
Enforcement will be focused on bars and restaurants through health inspections.
Health officials warn of a rise of Covid-19 cases in rural areas.
