Live updates March 21-22: Mississippi has 67 new cases Sunday, 6 on Coast

SUNDAY

6 p.m.

▪ The Mississippi Department of Health released a list of coronavirus testing sites throughout the state. Those who want to be tested myst have a 100.4 fever or higher with a severe cough or chest pain to be tested.

2 p.m.

▪ Moss Point Mayor Mario King announced in a Facebook Live video that he will ask the Jackson County Board of Supervisors for approval of a citywide curfew to combat the new coronavirus pandemic.

10 a.m.

▪ The State Department of Health has updated its case numbers. There are 67 new cases, with 5 in Harrison County and 1 in Pearl River County. Hinds and DeSoto counties now have the most cases.

▪ Gov. Tate Reeves is holding a public prayer on Facebook Live. He tweeted a Bible verse on Saturday evening to announce the prayer: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” — 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

SATURDAY

8 p.m.

The City of Biloxi has sent an email to residents saying the law enforcement chiefs of Harrison County and all its cities are recommending a two-week, 24-hour curfew starting Monday night.

6 p.m.

Hancock County issued a burn ban to protect air quality, and it closed McLeod Park to campers.

5:02 p.m.

The Mississippi State Department of Health announced in a tweet that it will be setting up six drive-up testing sites across the state for those with COVID-19 symptoms.

Those symptoms include a fever of 100.4 or greater, a severe cough or chest pain.

The sites will be checking temperatures and getting samples to the state Public Health Lab for testing.

The MSDH did not say when or where the testing sites will be set up.

2:36 p.m.

Long Beach became the latest Coast city to limit restaurants to delivery and take-out orders.

Long Beach also closed down bars and is shutting public entrance to municipal building and facilities.

Gautier joined Long Beach with a similar policy for restaurants on Saturday.

Harrison County will allow beaches to remain open, but the Board of Supervisors ask that people gather in small groups.

2:24 p.m.

Big Play Entertainment Center in Biloxi is one of the most recent entertainment outfits to pause operations on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Big Play announced Saturday that it is suspending all operations effective immediately.

The Ocean Springs School District is saying that students at three of its schools have been exposed to the new coronavirus within the last two weeks, warning parents to monitor their children closely for symptoms.

1:32 p.m.

Gov. Tate Reeves cautioned residents of South Mississippi Saturday about traveling to South Louisiana, which has been one of the more hard hit areas during the new coronavirus outbreak.

Mississippi reported 60 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday morning to bring the total number to 140.

Just a few minutes earlier, NOLA.com reported that Louisiana was up to 585 with 353 of them in Orleans Parish.

“I’ve spoken with many of our neighboring governors, including (John Bel Edwards) in Louisiana,” Reeves said during an address on Facebook. “They are seeing a fairly significant spike in their numbers over the last several days. If you look at some of the parishes around New Orleans, they actually have a parish (Orleans) that is in the top 10 in terms of total number of cases of any county/parish anywhere in the country. We know that we have a very transient population particularly in South Mississippi from Hattiesburg south that travels back and forth from New Orleans. I want to heed a warning to our friends in South Mississippi and throughout the state. Be careful where you travel. Keep in mind that this is an ever evolving situation. It’s one where we need to take extreme caution.”

Also during the speech, Reeves said that he plans to sign an executive order for those who recently lost their job.

“Later today, I will be announcing that I am signing an additional executive order providing unemployment benefits to help all Mississippi workers and their families,” he said. “We’ve worked closely with the Mississippi Employment Security Department to draft this in such a way where it is helpful those employees of small businesses, who are having a difficult time keeping their doors open. This executive order will waive the one-week waiting period to receive unemployment benefits for all claims between March 8 and June 27. That is something that will be very helpful in the short run.”

Reeves is also looking into possibly delaying the deadline for state taxes. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday that the deadline for those that owe additional income to the federal government will now have an extra 90 days after April 25 to pay.

10:15 a.m.

Mississippi reported 60 new cases of the new coronavirus on Saturday, according to a release from the state’s department of health.

The overall count for the state is now 140 with one death.

Harrison, Pearl River County and Jackson counties each reported two new cases. Hancock and George Counties each reported one.

This marks the first time that George County has reported a case, meaning Stone is the only Coast county without a case at the moment.

The numbers for the southernmost six counties are:

▪ Harrison County — 10

▪ Hancock County — 4, with 1 death

▪ George County — 1

▪ Jackson County — 5

▪ Pearl River — 9

9:05 a.m.

Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, D’Iberville and Moss Point have closed bars and restaurants except to allow take-out and delivery food orders.

Gulfport also is closing all city buildings to the public, no gatherings of 10 or more people are allowed on city property.

“We cannot overstress the seriousness of the situation,” Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes said in a press release. “Based upon trends around the country, matters are likely to get worse, before they get better.

“If we do not act NOW, it will become grave. All one has to do is look at the experience of Italy.”

Highlights from Friday:

▪ The Mississippi State Department of Health now recommends that all restaurant and bars suspend dine-in service in order to help slow the spread of COVID-19, effective immediately. Restaurants may still offer carryout or delivery orders to their customers.

“This will in no way affect gas stations, pharmacies, grocery stores or food marts,” said State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs.

▪ The City of D’Iberville held a special-called remote meeting to vote on a resolution shutting down restaurant dining rooms for two weeks. Moss Point Mayor Mario King ordered all businesses, which includes all child care facilities, churches, gyms, bars, parties, salons, barbershops and other businesses, shut down effective at noon Friday.

▪ The number of coronavirus cases in the United States has more than quadrupled since Monday, according to Friday’s daily update from the Center for Disease Control.

▪ Mississippi announced 30 new cases. The count now stands at 80 cases in the state and 1 death. Harrison County now has 8 cases, the most in the state. The total for the six Coast counties is 21.

▪ The numbers of cases are expected to escalate as private testing facilities ramp up. New equipment is allowing the private laboratories to process 4,000 tests a day, hospital officials said.

▪ The first Mississippi resident to die from the coronavirus was identified as Howard Pickens, 63, of Waveland, who owned a barber shop in Bay St. Louis. He died this week at a hospital in Slidell.

▪ In response to social media posts, the Mississippi National Guard wants to reassure citizens that martial law, or any other form of military control is not an option and is not being enacted.

▪ MEMA wants to clarify there is no executive order from Gov. Tate Reeves to close businesses and day cares across the state. Local governments and business owners can choose whether or not to close.

▪ The state health department and Emergency Management Agency will be distributing personal protective equipment to counties across the state on Saturday. This stockpile is a combination of what the state currently has plus what Mississippi received Tuesday night from the Department of Health and Human Services’ national stockpile.

▪ The Small Business Administrations has delcared an economic disaster for Mississippi.

▪ Mississippi Department of Employment Security announced workers who are not able to work due to COVID-19 will be eligible to file for unemployment benefits at www.mdes.ms.gov.

▪ Coast Transit Authority says fares won’t be collected on fixed routes and demand response services (for health and nutritio purposes only). All fixed routes will be on 90-minute intervals. The Beachcomber and Pass Road routes will go from 45-minute intervals to 90-minute intervals. Passengers should maintain a six-foot distance. Biloxi and Gulfport transit centers are closed to the public.

▪ Gulf Islands National Seashore is closing the following parks:

• Ship Island and associated facilities
• The Davis Bayou Campground, Robert McGhee Road Picnic Area, and boat launch
• The William M. Colmer Visitor Center in the Davis Bayou Area

These areas are still open:

• The Davis Bayou Area facilities near the visitor center including the picnic area, fishing pier, restroom, and hiking trails
• Petit Bois, West Petit Bois, and Horn islands, as well as the NPS-owned portions of Cat Island

▪ The Red Cross is asking for blood donations at the following Coast blood drives, find more at redcrossblood.org:

• 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, March 22, at Saint Claire Parish in Waveland
• 1-6 p.m. Monday, March 23, outside the Edgewater Mall movie theater
• noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, outside the Edgewater Mall movie theater

▪ The Salvation Army is offering free drive-thru lunches for seniors from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at the Kroc Center at 575 Division Street in Biloxi.

This story will updated throughout the day. Submit your update by emailing mynews@sunherald.com

This story was originally published March 21, 2020 at 9:09 AM.