Live updates April 10: South Mississippi has 22 new cases and 3 more coronavirus deaths

As Mississippians observe Good Friday and Passover sheltered in place, the State Health Department has reported 209 more positive coronavirus cases and 6 additional deaths.

The total number of confirmed cases in Mississippi, stands at 2,469, with 82 deaths. Test numbers do not reflect the true spread of the virus, however, because less than 1% of the population has been tested, Health Department numbers indicate.

In South Mississippi, 22 people tested positive for the coronavirus by Thursday evening, bringing the total to 360.

Three more people died from the virus in South Mississippi, 2 in Hancock County and 1 in Harrison County. Total deaths in the six southern counties is 18, with 5 each in Hancock and Jackson counties, and 4 each in Harrison and Pearl River counties.

The state Health Department said 5 Mississippi residents under age 50 have died from the coronavirus.

Totals cases for the six southern counties are:

George — 7 (2 new)

Hancock — 37 (0 new)

Harrison — 99 (3 new)

Jackson — 135 (13 new)

Pearl River — 77 (4 new)

Stone — 5 (0 new)

Today’s report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a one-day increase in coronavirus cases of 31,705. An additional 1,874 people across the nation have died from the virus.

That increase in cases and deaths was less than on Thursday, when there were 32,449 new cases and 1,942 additional deaths.

The total for the U.S is 459,165 cases and 16,570 deaths.

2:30 p.m.

Gov. Tate Reeves and state health officials said the peak for novel coronavirus cases is coming to Mississippi, but the state is prepared with enough hospital beds and ventilators, plus contingency plans to add more beds if needed.

Reeves also said he has signed an executive order canceling elective surgeries statewide. Also, a registry of doctors has been assembled if the state needs to call on them for specialized services.

2 p.m.

Coastal Family Health Center is offering free drive-thru testing from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties. Prescreening will determine whether criteria for testing are met.

The center’s mobile testing unit will be at the following locations:

▪ Mosaic Church, 2016 Bienville Blvd. (U.S. 90), Monday-Thursday, Ocean Springs.

▪ Historic Train Depot, 1928 Depot Way, Wednesday, Bay St. Louis.

▪ Goodwill store, Tuesday and Friday, 12100 Hwy 49 North, Gulfport.

For more information, visit coastalfamilyhealth.org or call 228-374-4991.

Noon

Ingalls Shipbuilding reports another case of coronavirus at the Pascagoula shipyard, raising the total to 16. Five of those employees have been cleared to return to work, the company said in its daily report.

9:15 a.m.

The state Commission on Marine Resources extended the deadline for renewing commercial fishing licenses from April 30 to May 31 due to the coronavirus and the governor’s shelter-in-place order. That date will be reassessed if necessary due to the emergency. The Department of Environmental Resources’ office is closed, but commercial licenses can be renewed by mail.

8 a.m.

The IRS last month announced the April 15 deadline to file and pay federal income tax was extended to July 15, with no late filing or payment penalty or interest due.

IRS said this now generally applies to all taxpayers that have a filing or payment deadline falling between April 1 and before July 15.

It also allows those who have and estimated tax payment due after April 1 until July 15 to make that payment without penalty.

Those who need more time can file their 2019 taxes can get an extension to Oct. 15 with Form 4868.. An extension does not give extra time to pay tax that is due.

7 a.m.

“Today was a tough one,” said Lee Bond, CEO of Singing River Health System, in his evening update Thursday. He said 12 more people tested positive for coronavirus, upping the total to 128. “We had one new admission and one discharge, keeping our total positive inpatients at 12.”

Highlights from Thursday:

• Gov. Tate Reeves announced that Mississippians who are unemployed due to coronavirus could start receiving additional money from the CARES Act as early as today. The state is among five to start receiving the money from the federal relief bill created in response to COVID-19.
• The Mississippi State Department of Health reported nine new death and 257 new cases of novel cornavirus, the largest spike in numbers in a single day. Of those, one new death was reported in Pearl River and one new death in Hancock County, bringing the total number of deaths to 15. There have been a 338 cases of cornavirus in the six-most southern counties in South Mississippi.
• Officials announced that Memorial Physician Clinic will have a drive-up COVID-19 screening and testing site Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Isiah Fredericks Community Center, 3321 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Gulfport. Those exhibiting symptoms will be tested.
• The Centers for Disease Control reported 32,449 new cases of coronavirus in the U.S., and 1,942 additional deaths. The numbers marked the second highest one-day number of deaths since the COVID-19 outbreak.
• The governor announced that a statewide burn ban goes into effect immediately. He issued the ban after a request from the Mississippi Forestry Commission.

This story was originally published April 10, 2020 at 10:19 AM.