Mississippi has a new coronavirus strategy, officials say. It’s not a state shutdown.
City and county leaders who want to go beyond the governor’s executive order and declare curfews or other restrictions, “They’re perfectly fine to do so,” Gov. Tate Reeves said Thursday.
These local restrictions can’t supersede the state’s requirements, he said, such as declaring a curfew that wouldn’t allow a person who works at grocery store to get to work.
Reeves and State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs announced a more aggressive plan for testing and using the results to determine how to respond in each area of Mississippi.
What’s going in Gulfport and what’s happening in more rural areas of the state aren’t the same, Reeves said.
He was on a call with governors and President Donald Trump earlier in the day, Reeves said, and he spoke directly after Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards.
Reeves said he is in full support of what Edwards is asking fight the outbreak of coronavirus. Edwards on Monday issued a shelter in place order for Louisiana, as it’s biggest city is one of the national hot spots for COVID-19.
“What happens in New Orleans is going to have an impact and affect on the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” Reeves said.
Reeves has been criticized in social media and in the national media for not being more aggressive and ordering people to shelter in place, as other states have done. He said said no federal or state health officials recommend he do so, but he would be willing and able to order that step if it becomes necessary.
New strategy
Reeves tweeted about his “proactive” strategy in response to the pandemic. The state strategy outlined by Dobbs is to take action when a local outbreak occurs that has “uncontrolled transmission.”
Dobbs said the state Department of Health is going to increase testing and will be doing more contact investigations, which trace who positive patients came into contact with.
He said a team will go into outbreak areas and possibly order a temporary shelter in place — but with an end date.
The “collaborative, all-government response” includes pulling employees from other state agencies, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Mississippi Responder Management System, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and the National Guard to help with testing.
“We have six deaths now. We will see more deaths,” Dobbs said.
Other key points
Also discussed at Thursday’s press conference were:
▪ Reeves said twice at the press conference, “It is more likely to be at the beginning than the end of this crisis,” and he told people who can do so to stay home.
▪ He plans to issue a new executive order to clarify his latest order directing restaurants and bars to be open only for takeout and delivery. His intent was that restaurant dining rooms can remain open with 10 people or less who maintain social distancing of 6 feet apart.
▪ MEMA executive director Gregory Michel said Mississippi companies are retooling to supply products for testing and medical safety equipment.
This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 3:34 PM.
