‘Reinstate the mask mandate,’ Biden says. Are COVID cases still dropping in Mississippi?
President Joe Biden is calling on all communities to require masks to fight the coronavirus, while Gov. Tate Reeves is defending his policy with the latest numbers that show new cases continue to fall in Mississippi.
“I’m reiterating my call for every governor, mayor and local leader to maintain and reinstate the mask mandate,” Biden said Monday. “Please, this is not politics. Reinstate the mandate if you let it down.
As the numbers continued to drop through late January and February, Reeves rescinded the mask mandate for Mississippi on March 2. Mississippi was the second state to do so after Texas.
Biden responded, calling the actions by the two states “Neanderthal thinking.”
Reeves said that was an insult to the state, and on March 24 the governor posted on Facebook that Mississippi was “attacked” by Biden. “But data doesn’t play politics,” Reeves said. “Average daily cases cut in half. Hospitalizations down 421 to 244. ICU beds down 109 to 67. Vents down 69 to 37.
In South Mississippi, the seven-day average of new cases is down to 37 a day, the lowest since June. Only 6 new cases were reported in the six southern counties Monday.
Reeves also urged Mississippians to “Get your shot,” by scheduling an appointment at covidvaccine.umc.edu or 877-978-6453 — “and live your life, Mississippi!”
How Mississippi compares
Traffic is jammed again on the weekends along U.S. 90 and Beach Boulevard, concerts and entertainment are back on event schedules, and so far the numbers of new coronavirus cases have been staying down in Mississippi.
But cases are on the rise again in New York and New Jersey. The Associated Press reports the two states now rank no. 1 and 2 in new infections per capita among U.S. states. New Jersey has been reporting about 647 new cases for every 100,000 residents over the past 14 days. New York has averaged 548.
Experts suspect the backsliding numbers are because of a combination of factors including more relaxed restrictions, more contagious variants spreading in the densely populated cities, and people “letting their guard down.”
Mississippi is averaging 9 new cases per 100,000, according to the New York Times, while Hancock County is reporting 15 new cases per 100,000 and Pearl River County 12.
The U.S. is averaging nearly 62,000 cases a day, up from 54,000 two weeks ago.
Mississippi State Department of Health reported Monday 79 new cases and 0 new deaths, about 10 weeks after cases peaked in early- to mid-January.
The seven-day average of new cases per day in Mississippi now stands at 252, compared to 2,432 people testing positive each day at the peak. The average deaths is 6 compared to a peak of 51 on Jan. 17.
Health officials say people visiting friends and relatives over the holidays were to blame for the spike.
Vaccine available to all adults
Mississippi also was one of the first states to open vaccinations to everyone over age 16 on March 16.
Through Sunday, 1.2 million doses of vaccine have been given in Mississippi and 450,752 people are fully vaccinated. That is 15% of the state’s population.
In South Mississippi, according to the health department, those who are fully vaccinated in each county are:
- George — 3,395 (14%)
- Hancock — 5,089 (10%)
- Harrison — 27,442 (12%)
- Jackson — 18,708 (12%)
- Pearl River — 5,580 (9%)
- Stone — 2,609 (11%)
State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs shared on Twitter last week that Mississippi appears to be first state to reach vaccine parity for African Americans receiving COVID vaccinations, with 38% of doses now going to African Americans.
He credited MSDH Health Equity, faith leaders, community leaders, Black physicians and nurses for leading the fight for equity.
Through Sunday that number has dropped, with 30% of total doses going to Black Mississippians, while 62% of the doses have been given to white Mississippians.
The toll on Mississippi
Since the pandemic began on March 11, 2020, Mississippi has seen 304,695 people, or 10% of the state’s population, test positive for the coronavirus, and 7,001 deaths attributed to the virus.
Total cases and deaths in South Mississippi counties stand at:
- George — 2,365 cases, 46 deaths
- Hancock — 3,671 cases, 84 deaths
- Harrison — 17,320 cases, 298 deaths
- Jackson — 13,010 cases, 241 deaths
- Pearl River — 4,375 cases, 137 deaths
- Stone — 1,768 cases, 30 deaths
- South Mississippi — 42,509 cases, 836 deaths
This story was originally published March 29, 2021 at 3:58 PM.
