Live updates May 2: Coast has 10 new coronavirus cases with 5 in Hancock County

7 p.m.

State Rep. Tom Miles, D-Morton, said his mother has died of COVID-19, and it’s probable she contracted the virus as a result of her work as a nurse on the front lines of the pandemic.

5 p.m.

Biloxi’s curfew ends Sunday morning, and the city has published a four-page document detailing the guidelines for businesses to reopen. Guidelines include:

▪ All businesses and churches limited to 50% occupancy

▪ Restaurant and bar workers “will” wear masks. Retail store workers “should” wear masks.

▪ All businesses should be able to provide contact tracing information to the health department. After a person tests positive for COVID-19, the health department says it tracks down anyone that person may have come into contact with while possibly contagious.

Earlier this week, Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker signed an order asking everyone, both workers and customers, to wear masks at all stores and restaurants.

1:30 p.m.

The Mississippi State Department of Health reports 229 new cases and 10 new deaths, after Friday’s record 397 cases and 20 deaths.

In the lower six counties, there are 10 new cases in Hancock, Harrison and Pearl River counties and 1 new death in Jackson County.

Totals for South Mississippi are:

George — 14 (0 new)

Hancock — 67 (5 new)

Harrison — 181 (4 new)

Jackson —267 (0 new)

Pearl River — 176 (1 new)

Stone — 22 (0 new for 10 days)

11 a.m.

The Blind Tiger in Bay St. Louis said it is giving away free crawfish to first responders and health care workers after the state suddenly shut down its crawfish-cooking area on the patio.

“Yesterday, the state decided without warning that we have to stop cooking crawfish in our harbor side patio area, as we have done for many years,” the restaurant said in a statement. “However, since we have several hundred pounds of live crawfish that we can not currently sell, TBT has decided to turn something bad into something good.”

Starting at 11 a.m. Sunday, active military, police, fireman, EMT or other emergency healthcare worker or first responders can show their I.D. to get a free order of crawfish to go. To-go orders from the regular menu also are still available to the public.

Friday’s highlights

▪ Gov. Tate Reeves announced Friday that he will hold off on reopening other businesses after MSDH earlier in the day announced the highest single-day totals yet: 400 new cases and 20 new deaths.

▪ Open-carry supporters rallied at the state Capitol after Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba earlier in the week declared an executive order banning open carrying of firearms.

▪ Cat Island and Ship Island remain closed to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.

▪ They had such a good response to their first flyover of Coast hospitals that the 403rd Wing Air Force Reserve unit at Keesler Air Force Base is planning a second fly by Tuesday, May 5.

▪ Singing River Health System reported 6 positive test results for COVID-19, all outpatient, bringing total positives to date to 218.

This story was originally published May 2, 2020 at 1:47 PM.