‘The spread of the virus is bad.’ Reeves has message for COVID-19 cynics: You’re wrong
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has grown tired of people who repeatedly attempt to downplay the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that showed in his Wednesday press briefing.
One common point of argument for those who aren’t buying the severity of the crisis is that the coronavirus only presents a threat to those who are elderly.
On Wednesday during a press briefing, Reeves pointed to the data to push back against the cynics.
“In mid-April, we had 1,500 cases in one week and we thought it was bad,” Reeves said. “My friends, we’re going to report over 1,500 cases today. That’s after having over 1,500 cases yesterday.
“What does that mean? The spread of the virus is bad.”
Mississippi’s state health department reported 1,547 new cases on Wednesday after announcing a record of 1,635 on Tuesday. There have been 65 total deaths reported over the two days.
Reeves warned that those numbers could translate into many more hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
“Some of you would argue, ‘Well, it’s really not that bad on young people and it’s OK if it spreads among young people,’” the first-term governor said. “What (State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs) has repeatedly told you, however, and it’s true, is that so far over the last 5 months approximately 17 percent of those who get the virus and are reported as positive end up in the hospital.”
Reeves said that if that math holds up, approximately 255 people out of the 1,547 new cases reported on Wednesday could end up in the hospital.
In an acknowledgment that the pandemic has become political for many Americans, Reeves again begged people to buy into the need to wear masks, socially distance and stay home when possible.
“The president said yesterday that he believes it’s patriotic to wear a mask,” the Republican governor said. “I’m asking my constituents, if you love the president join him and be a patriot. Wear a mask. If you don’t like the president, wear a mask to spite him.”
COVID-19 case numbers among Mississippi children
Dobbs broke down the impact of COVID-19 among the younger age groups.
▪ There are 10,126 cases among the 18-29 age group.
▪ Of those cases, 2,413 are between ages 11-17.
▪ 990 cases are among ages 6-10.
▪ 850 cases are in ages 1-5.
▪ There are 356 cases among babies less than a year old.
“Fortunately, they don’t get as ill, but they can get ill,” Dobbs said. “When we checked this morning, we had two pediatric patients in intensive care in Mississippi. We have 10 deaths in ages 18-29. Just yesterday, we recorded the death of a 20-year-old.”
Will MS bars close down?
Reeves has been looking into the prospect of limiting capacity in some restaurants and bars. He indicated Wednesday that he plans to make an announcement soon regarding bars.
“We are continuing to talk about certain areas, particularly bars, and exactly what that looks like,” he said. “Today is Wednesday and we’ll continue to have those conversations over the next day or so. We’ll make an announcement, if we’re going to do anything, by the end of this week.”
Tate Reeves wants to put mistakes in the past
Reeves acknowledged that errors have been made at all levels during the pandemic — everyone from himself to the everyday Mississippian.
“We all have to come together as a state, come together as a people,” Reeves said. “We have to recognize what happened in the past is in the past. We can’t change what we did two weeks ago, but we can change what do tomorrow. Join me in doing better tomorrow. Let’s wear a mask and stay socially distanced.”
The governor offered one anecdote that gives a glimpse at how Mississippians let their guard down after restrictions lifted across the state late in the spring.
“I got a text from a friend of mine a week or so ago, a super guy. He’s very big in the world of travel ball (for youth sports),” Reeves said. “Three months ago, he was leaning on me pretty heavily about, ‘We need to get travel ball going again, get these kids back on the ball field.’ He and his wife and his kid all believe they got the virus by going to a travel ball tournament.
“We believe you can do travel ball safely if you socially distance, have less than a small number of people at the ball park. We all need to come together and do this as a family.”
