Live updates April 9: Biggest spike yet in Mississippi coronavirus cases with over 250
6:20 p.m.
A statewide burn ban was announced Thursday, effective immediately.
Gov. Tate Reeves issued the ban after he received a request Mississippi Forestry Commission, a release said.
The burn ban will remain in effect until further notice.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has put significant strain on Mississippi Emergency Medical Services professionals, particularly the state’s rural volunteer fire departments,” MFC State Coordinator Russell Bozeman said in a release.
Since March 1, MFC firefighters have responded to the burns over 4,259 acres in areas where homes and other structures were threatened.
“The current amount of wildfire is not normally a need for concern,” Bozeman said in the release. “However, the smoke from these fires creates problems for anyone with respiratory issues and increases our firefighter’s chances of exposure when they respond.”
The burn ban was requested in response to the coronavirus outbreak. With the ban in effect, the firefighters will be freed up to serve as emergency responders for those experiencing medical issues and other needs.
Local sheriff’s are helping with enforcement of the ban.,
5:30 p.m.
Andy Gipson, the state commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, announced Thursday that he has sent letters to grocery store managers to ask that they stop placing limits on the amount of milk customers can buy during one visit. According to a release from Gipson, he made the appeal to store managers after dairy farmers reported that they were having to dump out large quantities of milk as result.
4:30 p.m,
Mississippi Open4Biz announced it opening a new online resource to connect statewide restaurants with customers looking for options for take-out and delivery services.
The state restaurants are able to upload and edit their menu for free on the new app. State restaurant owners can sign up to use the app by emailing hello@zap.guru.
The new online site for customers to use is Mississippi.Open4bizUS.com.
The new site was formed in a partnership between the Mississippi Restaurant & Hospitality Association and two New Orleans-based marketing firms. Restaurants do not have to be members of MRHS to join the online site.
2 p.m .
Gov. Tate Reeves said Mississippi residents who are unemployed due to coronavirus could start receiving money as early as Friday from the CARES act.
Mississippi is one of five states to receive the funding from the federal relief bill that was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the coronavirus outbreak, over 6 million Americans have filed for unemployment for the second week in row, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Over the past four weeks, 87,000 Mississippians have filed for unemployment, Reeves said.
Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, MDES typically recorded an average of 1,000 claims each week. Now, Reeves aid, MDES is seeing anywhere from 32,000 to 45,000 new claims filed each week.
12:13 p.m.
The Centers for Disease Control today reports 32,449 new cases of coronavirus in the last day in the U.S. and 1,942 additional deaths.
This is the second highest one-day number of deaths since the pandemic began. The previous high was 3,154 on Tuesday.
Totals now across the nation are 427,460 cases and 14,696 deaths.
10 a.m.
The Mississippi State Department of Health today reports nine new deaths and 257 new cases, the largest numbers reported for a single day.
The last record of new cases in one day was 183 on April 5.
One of the new deaths was in Pearl River County and one in Hancock County, bringing the total in South Mississippi to 15.
George and Stone counties are the only two of South Mississippi’s six counties where no deaths have been reported.
Total cases in South Mississippi are:
George — 5 (0 new)
Hancock —37 (5 new)
Harrison — 96 (8 new)
Jackson — 122 (11 new)
Pearl River — 73 (13 new)
Stone —5 (0 new)
There have been 20,370 tests performed with 6,309 from the state lab and 14,061 at private labs.
7:30 a.m.
Memorial Physician Clinic will provide a drive-up COVID-19 screening and testing site tomorrow, April 10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Isiah Fredericks Community Center, 3312 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Gulfport.
Memorial will manage the drive-up clinic in an historically African American community to ensure access to COVID-19 screening and testing is available to residents. said Matt Walker, Memorial Physician Clinics vice president of clinical operations.
Those experiencing flu-like symptoms, body aches, fever, coughing, sneezing, chills or shortness of breath should come to be evaluated. Sick individuals are asked to stay in their vehicles and wait for assistance. Those exhibiting symptoms that meet the criteria will be tested. Details: 228-897-5000
7:15 a.m.
Singing River Health System s doing a Facebook Live daily at 5:30 p.m., providing statistics and inspirational stories from the front lines.
The hospitals in Ocean Springs and Pascagoula have performed 1,246 COVID-19 tests, SRHS CEO Lee Bond reported Wednesday night. There now are 116 positives, including 6 more in the last 24 hours, he said, and 13 people remain hospitalized.
7 a.m.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety announces that all firearm permits and security guard permits with an expiration date beginning on March 14, 2020 and thereafter, will be extended until the State of Emergency Declaration has been canceled. Online services are not available for renewal of these credentials.
Driver license stations remain closed to the public except for the 9 Mississippi Highway District Troop Stations. Those stations are taking only sex offender registrations and commercial Driver License transactions.
Highlights from Wednesday:
▪ The total number of coronavirus cases reached 2,003 in Mississippi and 300 in the lower six counties. Deaths reported are 67 in the state and 13 in South Mississippi.
▪ Jackson County has the most COVID-19 cases among the state’s southernmost six counties at 108, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health. Jackson County’s five deaths rank first in the state.
▪ Mississippi Health Department is reporting new coronavirus statistics based on race, age and other factors.
▪ Coast law enforcement Is starting to ticket people who violate coronavirus orders in cities like Moss Point
▪Twenty-one Biloxi firefighters are now self-quarantined at home because of the coronavirus, Biloxi Fire Chief Joe Boney said Wednesday.
▪In Wednesday’s press conference, Governor Tate Reeves said they will “announce school plan” by Tuesday. Reeves said he will be consulting with the state superintendent and educators from across the state to decide what is best for schools moving forward.
This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 10:41 AM.