With 2nd COVID-19 spike, will MS Coast mask mandate come from Reeves or local leaders?
Because of high COVID-19 spread, Harrison and Jackson counties will be prime candidates for new mask mandates if the governor decides to take that route, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said.
Dobbs and state Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers, the top public health officers at the Mississippi State Department of Health, are clearly dismayed because Mississippi’s COVID-19 cases are on a dangerous upward trend since Gov. Tate Reeves rescinded a statewide mask mandate a little more than two weeks ago.
Dobbs and Reeves hoped Mississippians would continue to wear masks without an executive order, but that was not the case before Reeves instituted the mask mandate in early August.
“Why we would broadly abandon something that is so easy, simple and effective because there’s no executive order has perplexed me,” Dobbs said.
Reeves was not at the news conference Friday afternoon, although he has previously hosted regular frequent afternoon news conferences during the pandemic, especially when cases spike. Dobbs said he expects Reeves will have an announcement Monday about how he intends to tackle the latest increase in cases.
“Whatever it takes to get people using masks, especially indoors, we are all for that,” Dobbs said. But it’s the governor’s call, he added.
Mask mandate for the Coast?
Dobbs said he did not know whether the governor would re-institute a statewide mask mandate or a mandate for counties with high case increases, but Harrison and Jackson counties would be prime candidates.
“To be honest, I don’t really know what the governor’s going to do until it happens,” Dobbs said. “And a lot of times, I don’t know what the governor’s going to do until we sit down at the press conference.”
He also mentioned that Mississippians should communicate concerns “up the chain to our leaders” so there is more universal acceptance of safety precautions.
Gov. Reeves spoke to Coast leaders on Tuesday at a virtual event for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, and CEO Milton Segarra asked about another mandate, saying tourists are looking for those types of actions.
“If a mask mandate is critically important to tourism on the Gulf Coast, the Harrison County Board of Supervisors, the Hancock County Board of Supervisors, the Jackson County Board of Supervisors certainly have the ability to implement that at the local level,” Reeves said.
“But I don’t know that a statewide mask mandate for Tishomingo and Itawamba County is necessary to help tourism on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. There are lots of other ways we can do that.”
‘Masks are pro-business’
Both Dobbs and Byers fear COVID-19 cases will overwhelm hospitals, especially because flu season is near.
Mississippi now has a total of 109,255 COVID-19 cases with 3,160 deaths.
The state has reported more than 1,000 cases a day for the past two days, the highest numbers since Aug. 19. Statewide, new cases for the last seven days averaged at little more than 796 a day, also a number not seen since late August
“We’ve seen some pretty significant increase in cases,” Dobbs said. “I would hope this is not a major surprise to anyone.
“ . . . Sadly, we’ve seen a softening of our communal resolve to do what it takes to prevent coronavirus transmission.”
Dobbs has been encouraging businesses and churches to keep mandating masks, but he has said some business owners and pastors do not feel they can require them. He thinks they should.
“I do think it keeps businesses open,” he said. “I do think we’re making a mistake thinking that masks are anti-business, Masks are pro-business.”
Byers said community transmission has been happening in churches that are not following public health guidelines.
Who’s spreading coronavirus in MS?
As cases go up, so will deaths, Byers said.
He said most deaths are of individuals over 50 and the fatality rate is high. Of those who are hospitalized, he said, 10-11% will die. Deaths have been stable, he said, but he expects to see them increase, too. An increase in deaths usually lags a case increase by about two weeks.
Statewide, transmission of COVID-19 is currently highest in the 5-17 age group. But Dobbs doesn’t believe school is the main problem. He said social gatherings, including in homes, are spreading the virus because people are not wearing masks and social distancing.
He said cases also are growing most quickly in the 50-64 age group in some counties and in people over 65, particularly in long-term care settings.
Dobbs once again urged wearing masks, social distancing and avoiding crowds and indoor events.
“Go ahead and let’s take action now,” he said. “Indoor social events are what’s driving the transmission of coronavirus in Mississippi.
“ . . . If you’re going to do something, we recommend you do it outdoors or don’t do it at all.”
Mary Perez contributed to this report.
This story was originally published October 16, 2020 at 3:00 PM.
