Live updates May 7: South Mississippi deaths top 50 with 8 more added
Mississippi State Department of Health today added 8 deaths to the count in South Mississippi, bringing the total in the six counties to 51.
The report said 9 of the 22 additional deaths statewide today were from the review of prior death certificates. It’s unknown if these new deaths in South Mississippi were current or occurred over the past several weeks.
Four additional deaths were reported in Hancock County, which now has a total of 9. Pearl River County has an additional 3 today for 24 total, and Jackson County has 1 new for 11 total. Harrison County has 6 deaths since the pandemic started, George County 1 and Stone County is still at 0.
As parks and restaurants begin reopening today, the latest report shows 262 new cases across Mississippi, bringing the total statewide to 8,686 cases and 396 deaths.
South Mississippi had 11 new cases, the highest this week, and has 758 cases total.
By county the number of cases are:
George — 15 (0 new for two days)
Hancock — 72 (4 new)
Harrison — 188 (1 new)
Jackson — 272 (1 new)
Pearl River — 188 (5 new)
Stone — 23 (0 new for two days)
National numbers released by the Centers for Disease Control show new cases rose to 25,253 from 22,303 on Wednesday. The death total declined to 2,495 today from 2,523 on Wednesday.
Cases nationwide reached 1,219,066 and 73,297 people have died from the coronavirus in the U.S.
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State leaders plan to work quickly to distribute $100 million in CARES Act funds for the COVID-19 pandemic to small businesses in Mississippi.
The Legislature hopes to have a bill passed by early next week that will establish as least one program to assist small businesses with funding, state leaders said.
After a feuding over the money, Reeves said he invited Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and House Speaker Philip Gunn to his house Wednesday, where they worked out their differences.
Noon
Ingalls Shipbuilding reports 1 new case of coronavirus after five days with no new cases. The employee, working on DDG 123, last was in the shipyard on May 2. Of the 33 total cases reported since the pandemic began, 26 of the employees are cleared to return to work.
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Singing River had 0 positive coronavirus test results back from the labs Wednesday, on National Nurses Day. CEO Lee Bond said that puts the rolling six-day average below 1 due to the “zero” days.
Wednesday’s highlights
▪ Mississippi’s death rate from coronavirus tied the single-day record of 32 with Wednesday’s numbers from the state’s health department.
Five of the 32 deaths reported Wednesday by the state Health Department are from reviews of prior death certificates, the Health Department said.
Two of the new deaths are in South Mississippi, with 1 in Jackson County and 1 in Pearl River County, putting the total in the six lower counties at 43.
▪ The mayors of Jackson and Hattiesburg opted to keep their dining rooms closed despite a state order allowing them to open.
▪ Mississippi taxpayers now have until July 15 to file state income taxes, making the date the same as the U.S. deadline.
▪ McLeod Park in Hancock County will begin to reopen on May 8. During the opening, all pavilions and public bathrooms will remain closed. All campers must have their own restroom facilities.
▪ The Harrison County Library System will offer contactless curbside pickup at four locations starting May 11. Patrons can call or email the libraries at D’Iberville, Pass Christian, Orange Grove and West Biloxi to arrange for pickup.
▪ Gulfport Billy Hewes issued an executive order increasing the occupancy rate for retail businesses to 50%, reopening public parks between the hours of 9 a.m.-7 p.m., allowing restaurants to reopen for indoor and outdoor dining in accordance with the state order.
▪ Some of Biloxi’s baseball and softball fields will open Thursday, Chief Administrator Mike Leonard said at Tuesday’s council meeting. Not all the parks and restrooms will be open because of the need to constantly clean, he said.
This story was originally published May 7, 2020 at 11:30 AM.