Coronavirus updates May 13: Mississippi cases top 10,000 with 9 new in Harrison County
Nine weeks since the first coronavirus case was reported in Mississippi, the state has 182 new cases and 8 deaths reported Wednesday.
None of those new deaths were in South Mississippi for the second straight day, leaving the total at 55.
The state Health Department reports the total number of cases — since March 11, when the first case was reported near Hattiesburg — now stands at 10,090 with 465 deaths.
The number of presumed recoveries hasn’t been updated since May 3, when the number was 6,268.
South Mississippi has 792 cases, with a spike of 9 new cases in Harrison County. The recent spike of cases in Pearl River County, where cases jumped from 163 on April 30 to 190 today, seems to have leveled out, with no new cases for three days.
Totals for South Mississippi are:
George — 16 (1 new)
Hancock — 75 (1 new)
Harrison — 210 (9 new)
Jackson — 278 (2 new)
Pearl River — 190 (0 new for three days)
Stone — 23 (0 new for two days)
5:06 p.m.
Coastal Family Health will again be conducting free COVID-19 testing at Feed My Sheep in Gulfport on Monday.
Anyone can come for a screening, an based on that, receive a test if needed. Testing will run from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at 2615 19th Street in Gulfport.
1:02 p.m.
Pascagoula city buildings will reopen to the public at 8 a.m. on May 18 with the exception of the Pascagoula Senior Center and fire department
The city asks residents to continue practicing social distancing and to only come into city buildings when necessary. City Council meetings can be streamed on the City of Pascagoula Youtube page.
While citizens are encouraged to continue making payments online or via the drop box, the following safety measures will be taken at the Pascagoula Utilities Office for those who choose to come in:
▪ Only two citizens will be allowed in the building at a time.
▪ An employee will be at the front door to direct people in and out of the building.
▪ Citizens waiting to come in will be asked to stand in a line with tape markers six feet apart.
▪ Citizens are encouraged to wear a mask if entering the building.
9 a.m.
African American blood donors are needed to give blood to help patients battling sickle cell disease, according to the American Red Cross. Since mid-March, the number of African Americans donating blood with the Red Cross has dropped by more than half amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Because most people who have sickle cell disease are of African or Latino descent, African American blood donors may be the best match for sickle cell patients in need, according to the Red Cross.
Make an appointment at RedCrossBlood.org, or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Local blood drives are scheduled for:
- May 17 at St. Francis Xavier Parish, 1026 East Central Ave., Wiggins. 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
- May 18 at Gulf Coast Event Center, 9475 U.S. 49, Gulfport, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
- May 19 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 11322 W. Taylor Rd., Gulfport, 1-6 p.m.
- May 20 at St. Mary Catholic Church-, 8343 Woolmarket Road, Biloxi, 1-6 p.m.
- May 26 at Edgewater Mall, 2600 Beach Blvd. Biloxi, 1-6 p.m.
8 a.m.
Singing River Health System had only one positive coronavirus test yesterday. CEO Lee Bond said, “We have had 74 inpatients since the inception of the outbreak, and only 8 remain hospitalized, and of those 8, only 3 remain in the ICU.”
7:45 a.m.
Mississippi State Department of Health requested a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service guidance that will require states to count income from the $600 a week federal unemployment payments as household income for SNAP eligibility.
Under these rules, those receiving pandemic unemployment benefits will exceed the income threshold for receiving SNAP benefits for food assistance.
FNS denied the qaiver request.
“Any way you look at it, this is the wrong thing to do to Mississippians trying to put food on the table for their families during this pandemic,” said MDHS Executive Director Robert Anderson. “This is simply a case of unintended consequences which will affect thousands of Mississippians applying for both benefits.”
Tuesday’s highlights
▪ Tuesday’s report from the Mississippi State Department of Health showed a jump in the number of cases and deaths in the state, with 234 new cases and 22 new deaths.
One of the deaths today was in Pearl River County, bringing the total there to 25. Seven of the deaths were from the review of death certificate reports from April 25 to May 3. Two of them were in Jackson County, which now has 13 deaths. Total deaths in the six counties of South Mississippi stands at 55.
▪ Gov. Tate Reeves said he wasn’t aware that Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has decided to reopen casinos. Reeves said he wouldn’t make any decision about Mississippi casinos based on an action by another state.
Reeves said reopening Mississippi’s casinos by Memorial Day always has been the focus, and he said to expect an announcement soon on when casinos will reopen.
▪ Gov. Tate Reeves announced Tuesday additional social distancing measures for seven counties identified as problem areas for the COVID-19 pandemic in Mississippi. The seven counties are Attala, Leake, Scott, Jasper, Neshoba, Newton and Lauderdale.
Reeves signed a new executive order Tuesday that establishes additional restrictions for those seven counties to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
▪ The Mississippi Public Service Commission voted Tuesday to extend the previous order temporarily suspending disconnections of certain utility services until May 26. The restriction applies to all water, sewer, electricity and gas services.
This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 11:43 AM.