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Meridian Mayor Percy Bland said on Thursday that the city’s mask mandate will likely remain in effect for the foreseeable future. The mandate was set to expire at the end of the month. 

“We have seen an increase in cases over the last several days in the city,” Bland said during a Facebook update. “We have seen several deaths in the last several days in the city as it relates to COVID.” 

Bland also encouraged Meridian residents to get their flu shot.

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported on Thursday 20 new COVID-19 cases in Lauderdale County and no additional deaths, leading to a total of 2,418 cases and 134 deaths since March. 

The department reported 958 new cases of COVID-19 statewide and eight additional deaths. 113,081 cases and 3,231 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported in Mississippi since the state began tracking the virus in March.

In Newton County, three new cases were reported, increasing the county’s total to 852. No new deaths were reported; the county has had 27 COVID-19 related deaths since March.

In Kemper County, no new cases were reported; 320 cases have been reported since March. No new deaths were reported; 15 deaths have been reported since March.

Clarke County reported seven new cases, leading to a total of 734 cases. No new deaths were reported; 50 deaths have been reported since March.

In Neshoba County, 11 new cases were reported, bringing the case total to 1,831. No new deaths were reported; 111 deaths have been reported since March.

The Department of Health presumes 97,675 people have recovered from COVID-19. The department also reported that there are 126 ongoing outbreaks of COVID-19 in long-term-care facilities. 

Gov. Tate Reeves announced additional COVID-19 measures on Monday. People in nine counties, including Neshoba, have to wear a mask when they are indoors and interacting with the public, but cannot social distance.

Case update

County	Total Cases	Total Deaths	Total LTC Facility Cases	Total LTC Facility Deaths
Adams	1067	43	64	13
Alcorn	981	12	18	2
Amite	421	13	15	2
Attala	789	26	90	20
Benton	325	5	15	1
Bolivar	2001	77	218	30
Calhoun	619	12	25	4
Carroll	476	12	45	9
Chickasaw	836	26	46	14
Choctaw	204	6	1	0
Claiborne	533	16	43	9
Clarke	734	50	93	27
Clay	683	21	19	3
Coahoma	1247	36	87	6
Copiah	1362	36	71	7
Covington	953	26	47	10
De Soto	6857	79	80	16
Forrest	2995	78	176	41
Franklin	237	3	4	1
George	977	18	36	6
Greene	469	18	40	6
Grenada	1211	38	113	21
Hancock	798	27	44	6
Harrison	5050	83	257	32
Hinds	7850	176	464	78
Holmes	1141	60	102	20
Humphreys	426	16	21	6
Issaquena	107	4	0	0
Itawamba	1121	25	87	17
Jackson	4450	84	101	8
Jasper	677	17	1	0
Jefferson	274	10	13	3
Jefferson Davis	400	11	7	1
Jones	2877	84	185	38
Kemper	320	15	41	9
Lafayette	2459	43	124	29
Lamar	2212	38	40	11
Lauderdale	2418	134	261	74
Lawrence	507	14	26	2
Leake	1143	40	42	6
Lee	3507	79	180	37
Leflore	1651	87	193	47
Lincoln	1385	57	162	35
Lowndes	1763	62	102	33
Madison	3779	93	238	45
Marion	935	42	92	14
Marshall	1392	27	48	11
Monroe	1473	72	170	52
Montgomery	535	23	52	9
Neshoba	1831	111	130	39
Newton	852	27	39	9
Noxubee	596	17	20	4
Oktibbeha	1993	54	193	31
Panola	1690	38	60	7
Pearl River	1122	59	94	22
Perry	486	23	20	7
Pike	1377	56	97	27
Pontotoc	1458	19	17	2
Prentiss	1037	19	48	3
Quitman	419	6	0	0
Rankin	3881	86	175	23
Scott	1247	29	21	3
Sharkey	280	14	43	8
Simpson	1204	49	117	19
Smith	589	16	54	8
Stone	462	14	55	9
Sunflower	1597	49	83	14
Tallahatchie	830	25	29	7
Tate	1149	39	52	13
Tippah	881	21	60	0
Tishomingo	800	41	96	26
Tunica	528	17	15	2
Union	1165	25	46	11
Walthall	636	27	67	13
Warren	1536	55	123	26
Washington	2551	99	166	38
Wayne	998	21	59	10
Webster	370	13	52	11
Wilkinson	335	20	20	5
Winston	828	21	42	11
Yalobusha	519	14	53	7
Yazoo	1207	33	89	12
Total	113,081	3,231	6,634	1,298

Indoor social gatherings in those counties must be limited to 10 people and outdoor social gatherings must be limited to 50.