A Mississippi Coast police chief has COVID-19 after several officers test positive
Pascagoula Police Chief Matt Chapman is self-quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19.
He was tested Sunday after coming into contact with another Pascagoula officer who had tested positive.
“I’ve been working from home,” Chapman said Thursday. “If I didn’t get the positive test, I would have been back to work Monday.
“I’ve lost my sense of taste and smell and, actually, I”m probably losing a little weight. I can’t really tell.”
Chapman suspected he might have the virus after he came down with flu-like symptoms Saturday.
“It’s much different from a cold,” he said. “I had one really bad day Saturday just with a headache and my fever went up. I’m good now.”
Chapman is among three or four Pascagoula police officers who have tested positive for the virus, although he said he didn’t know the official count.
The city shut down the police department building and had it disinfected after the first confirmed case.
Masks are now required to enter any city building.
The coronavirus is “skyrocketing” in Mississippi, state epidemiologist Paul Byers said at Tuesday press conference. Also that day, Jackson County saw a record daily increase of 51 new cases.
On Wednesday, Gov. Tate Reeves did not rule out a mask mandate to prevent further spread.
Mayor Steve Demetropoulos, who is a doctor, is encouraging residents to take the recommended safety precautions to prevent them from catching or spreading the virus.
“Before, we thought we had to shut things down to get the COVID virus under control,” he said. “We’ve learned that we don’t have to do that.
“We could still function, but we have three tools that we’re able to use within the context of having businesses open. One is social distancing, two is wash your hands ... and three is masks. The masks are the most effective.”
The mayor explained that when people talk, they secrete saliva into the air.
“And what happens is that the virus is transmitted from that,” he said.
About 40% of the people with COVID-19 are asymptomatic, he said.
“We don’t want to make people wear the mask,” he said. “We want to tell you this is a tool that you can use to help prevent the spread of the virus.
“Please help us do that. Remember your social distancing, washing your hands, and please wear your mask.”
