Mississippi public well being officers are anticipating an uptick in coronavirus deaths due to the state’s complacency relating to the pandemic.
“We’re at a really tenuous position right now, and we’ve become a little bit numb to the deaths,” mentioned State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs throughout a Mississippi State Medical Association Zoom assembly final week. “And it’s coming for a lot of people. A lot of Mississippians are going to lose loved ones that they could’ve had many decades to live with. And some of them are going to lose kids too.”
Dobbs then shared a narrative about certainly one of his kin, who’s in her 60s, who just lately misplaced an in depth buddy to COVID-19.
Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP through Getty Images/Getty
“They were planning to take care of one another as they aged and spend their senior years together,” Dobbs mentioned. “And one of them got COVID-19 and died in the hospital. And that’s what drives me crazy. This didn’t have to happen.”
He continued: “Our complacency with this really keeps me up at night, because now her best friend is gone, and whole decades of a wonderful life together are erased because of a single moment of infection.”
Though Governor Tate Reeves has inspired Mississippians to put on masks and observe social distancing, he allowed the statewide masks mandate issued on August 4 to run out on September 30.
Now, the seven-day case common is greater than double what it was in September, in keeping with the Mississippi Free Press. Over the previous week, Mississippi reported over 7,900 new coronavirus circumstances and 102 deaths. The seven-day each day common is 1,138, just under the state’s peak of 1,202 common each day circumstances through the summer season.
Hospitalizations have additionally been on the rise. In early October, the state hit an all-time low, with 393 hospitalizations and 125 sufferers in intensive care unit beds. However, as of November 15, 723 Mississippians are hospitalized with the virus, together with 180 in ICU beds, in keeping with knowledge from the Mississippi State Department of Health.
Despite the surges in each virus circumstances and hospitalizations, Reeves has not indicated plans for one more statewide masks mandate.
“Governor Tate Reeves has been aggressive in keeping Mississippians healthy and safe,” Bailey Martin, the governor’s press secretary, informed Newsweek on Tuesday. “We’ve worked closely with Dr. Dobbs, and he has been a tremendous partner.”
Martin continued: “Governor Reeves continues to monitor COVID-19 data across the state daily and has moved to put specific counties under mask mandates to help slow the spread of this virus…. He continues to encourage Mississippians to wear a mask, practice social distancing and keep gatherings small.”
Reeves has, nevertheless, reinstated masks mandates for 22 of Mississippi’s 82 counties the place case numbers are highest. Those counties are Hinds, Madison, Pontotoc, Tate, Winston, Itawamba, Montgomery, Benton, Carroll, Covington, DeSoto, Forrest, Harrison, Humphreys, Jackson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Leflore, Lee, Marshall, Rankin and Yalobusha.
Other states, together with Washington, Iowa, North Dakota and Michigan, have additionally imposed new restrictions, with the objective of limiting the unfold of the virus. Philadelphia has instated a brand new spherical of restrictions on indoor and out of doors gatherings forward of the upcoming holidays.
The U.S. has over 11.2 million coronavirus circumstances, in keeping with knowledge from John Hopkins University, exceeding the circumstances reported in all different nations. As of Tuesday morning, greater than 247,400 individuals have died from COVID-19 within the nation.
The Mississippi State Department of Health did not reply to Newsweek’s request for remark in time for publication.
This story has been up to date with a remark from Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves’ press secretary.