Meridian lifts some restrictions; state extends shelter-in-place for one week
Published 9:09 am Friday, April 17, 2020
- Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves discusses the COVID-19 virus on April 6. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
State and local leaders lifted some COVID-19 restrictions Friday, but stressed other safeguards would have to remain in place for at least a week, as the death toll continued to rise in Mississippi by double digits.
Following an announcement by Gov. Tate Reeves that the statewide shelter-in-place order would be extended to April 27, Meridian Mayor Percy Bland extended the city’s order.
He urged everyone to wear a mask when in public.
The city reopened walking trails at Bonita Lakes Park, Northeast Park’s softball field and the Sammie Davidson Softball Complex Friday afternoon.
Bland said that while barber shops and other salons would remain closed until April 27, non-essential businesses such as florists, clothing stores, jewelry stores and bookstores could conduct curbside sales, beginning Monday at 8 a.m.
Gyms will remain closed, but can sell merchandise curbside, starting Monday, and places of worship should have no more than 10 people inside at one time, Bland said.
The mayor acknowledged the mental stress many in the community may be feeling.
“I know and understand as mayor, there are going to be a lot of physical, mental, spiritual and financial issues that we all are going to face as we go through this epidemic together,” Bland said in a Facebook update, before introducing Licensed Professional Counselor Dr. Oya Hampton.
Hampton shared mental health resources and encouraged families to develop routines, practice mindfulness and try to stay positive.
The Mississippi State Department of Health announced seven new cases of COVID-19 in Lauderdale County Friday, bringing the total to 181, and one additional death, bringing the total number of deaths to 13.
Six outbreaks have occurred at long-term care facilities in the county, MSDH reported.
As of Friday, state records indicate Lauderdale County has the highest number of deaths from COVID-19, the highest number of outbreaks at long-term care facilities and the fourth highest number of cases.
Anderson Regional Medical Center was hospitalizing 16 patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 Friday, according to the hospital’s website.
MSDH released new data showing that of 181 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Lauderdale County, 126 patients are black or African American.
Gov. Tate Reeves asked Mississippians Friday morning to shelter in place for one more week to fight the spread of COVID-19.
“We can’t reopen,” he said at a news conference. “We’re just not there yet.”
Reeves said the state was at its worst point in the curve, but was heading towards reopening.
“I know we cannot stay in this position for much longer, but we are still in the eye of the storm,” Reeves said.
State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs announced 169 new cases in Mississippi Friday, for a total of 3,793 and 11 additional deaths, for a total of 140 deaths.
Outbreaks have occurred at 67 long-term care facilities in the state, Dobbs said.
Outbreaks in long-term care facilities (LTCs)
Long-term care (LTC) facilities like nursing homes are considered high risk locations because their residents are older or in poor health. Even one case of COVID-19 in these facilities among residents or employees is considered an outbreak. We investigate residents, staff and close contacts of infected individuals for possible exposure. The number of LTC facilities with outbreaks are shown for each county in the table below.
| County | Total Cases | Total Deaths | LTCs with Outbreaks |
| Adams | 73 | 5 | 2 |
| Alcorn | 7 | ||
| Amite | 17 | 1 | |
| Attala | 31 | 1 | |
| Benton | 6 | ||
| Bolivar | 76 | 5 | 4 |
| Calhoun | 32 | 2 | 1 |
| Carroll | 10 | 1 | |
| Chickasaw | 39 | 2 | 1 |
| Choctaw | 11 | 1 | |
| Claiborne | 8 | ||
| Clarke | 21 | 1 | 1 |
| Clay | 22 | 1 | |
| Coahoma | 45 | 1 | |
| Copiah | 40 | 1 | |
| Covington | 22 | ||
| Desoto | 213 | 3 | 1 |
| Forrest | 137 | 2 | 2 |
| Franklin | 14 | ||
| George | 9 | ||
| Greene | 3 | ||
| Grenada | 15 | 1 | |
| Hancock | 50 | 5 | 2 |
| Harrison | 137 | 5 | 2 |
| Hinds | 314 | 5 | 5 |
| Holmes | 54 | 4 | |
| Humphreys | 12 | 3 | 1 |
| Itawamba | 13 | 1 | 1 |
| Jackson | 196 | 6 | 2 |
| Jasper | 20 | 1 | |
| Jefferson | 4 | 1 | |
| Jefferson Davis | 8 | 1 | |
| Jones | 56 | 3 | |
| Kemper | 16 | ||
| Lafayette | 39 | 2 | 1 |
| Lamar | 57 | 1 | |
| Lauderdale | 181 | 13 | 6 |
| Lawrence | 12 | ||
| Leake | 60 | 1 | |
| Lee | 49 | 4 | |
| Leflore | 70 | 6 | 1 |
| Lincoln | 95 | 6 | 2 |
| Lowndes | 30 | 1 | 1 |
| Madison | 123 | 3 | 3 |
| Marion | 38 | 1 | |
| Marshall | 37 | 2 | |
| Monroe | 58 | 3 | 2 |
| Montgomery | 15 | 1 | |
| Neshoba | 46 | 1 | |
| Newton | 19 | 1 | |
| Noxubee | 20 | ||
| Oktibbeha | 42 | 2 | 2 |
| Panola | 27 | 2 | |
| Pearl River | 115 | 8 | 2 |
| Perry | 21 | 1 | |
| Pike | 93 | 2 | 2 |
| Pontotoc | 17 | 2 | 1 |
| Prentiss | 16 | 2 | |
| Quitman | 13 | ||
| Rankin | 128 | 2 | 1 |
| Scott | 96 | 1 | |
| Sharkey | 3 | ||
| Simpson | 14 | 1 | |
| Smith | 38 | 1 | 1 |
| Stone | 17 | ||
| Sunflower | 45 | 2 | |
| Tallahatchie | 8 | 1 | |
| Tate | 27 | ||
| Tippah | 45 | 6 | 1 |
| Tishomingo | 2 | ||
| Tunica | 28 | 1 | 1 |
| Union | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| Walthall | 22 | ||
| Warren | 17 | 1 | |
| Washington | 68 | 2 | 1 |
| Wayne | 10 | ||
| Webster | 17 | 1 | |
| Wilkinson | 53 | 3 | 1 |
| Winston | 27 | ||
| Yalobusha | 14 | ||
| Yazoo | 81 | 1 | |
| Total | 3,793 | 140 | 67 |
– Mississippi Department of Health
| County | Total Cases | Black or African American | White | Other | Under investigation * |
| Adams | 73 | 37 | 20 | 13 | 3 |
| Alcorn | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Amite | 17 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Attala | 31 | 15 | 10 | 2 | 4 |
| Benton | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Bolivar | 76 | 52 | 13 | 3 | 8 |
| Calhoun | 32 | 11 | 19 | 0 | 2 |
| Carroll | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Chickasaw | 39 | 17 | 13 | 7 | 2 |
| Choctaw | 11 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| Claiborne | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Clarke | 21 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| Clay | 22 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Coahoma | 45 | 41 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Copiah | 40 | 21 | 7 | 12 | 0 |
| Covington | 22 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| Desoto | 213 | 83 | 104 | 15 | 11 |
| Forrest | 137 | 59 | 55 | 11 | 12 |
| Franklin | 14 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| George | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Greene | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Grenada | 15 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Hancock | 50 | 12 | 37 | 1 | 0 |
| Harrison | 137 | 48 | 77 | 7 | 5 |
| Hinds | 314 | 238 | 43 | 27 | 6 |
| Holmes | 54 | 47 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Humphreys | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Itawamba | 13 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| Jackson | 196 | 97 | 83 | 12 | 4 |
| Jasper | 20 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Jefferson | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jefferson Davis | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jones | 56 | 20 | 19 | 14 | 3 |
| Kemper | 16 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Lafayette | 39 | 14 | 19 | 2 | 4 |
| Lamar | 57 | 26 | 21 | 5 | 5 |
| Lauderdale | 181 | 126 | 43 | 7 | 5 |
| Lawrence | 12 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Leake | 60 | 37 | 6 | 8 | 9 |
| Lee | 49 | 22 | 22 | 3 | 2 |
| Leflore | 70 | 58 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| Lincoln | 95 | 30 | 49 | 5 | 11 |
| Lowndes | 30 | 20 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| Madison | 123 | 51 | 43 | 20 | 9 |
| Marion | 38 | 12 | 21 | 3 | 2 |
| Marshall | 37 | 17 | 18 | 1 | 1 |
| Monroe | 58 | 15 | 31 | 2 | 10 |
| Montgomery | 15 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Neshoba | 46 | 25 | 13 | 7 | 1 |
| Newton | 19 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Noxubee | 20 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Oktibbeha | 42 | 20 | 12 | 4 | 6 |
| Panola | 27 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Pearl River | 115 | 40 | 52 | 11 | 12 |
| Perry | 21 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Pike | 93 | 59 | 11 | 6 | 17 |
| Pontotoc | 17 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Prentiss | 16 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 0 |
| Quitman | 13 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Rankin | 128 | 30 | 81 | 12 | 5 |
| Scott | 96 | 48 | 24 | 13 | 11 |
| Sharkey | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Simpson | 14 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| Smith | 38 | 12 | 22 | 1 | 3 |
| Stone | 17 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| Sunflower | 45 | 39 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Tallahatchie | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tate | 27 | 9 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Tippah | 45 | 28 | 13 | 3 | 1 |
| Tishomingo | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tunica | 28 | 16 | 7 | 1 | 4 |
| Union | 9 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Walthall | 22 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 2 |
| Warren | 17 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| Washington | 68 | 54 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| Wayne | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Webster | 17 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| Wilkinson | 53 | 47 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Winston | 27 | 16 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| Yalobusha | 14 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Yazoo | 81 | 48 | 26 | 4 | 3 |
| Total | 3,793 | 2,005 | 1,270 | 283 | 235 |
* Cases still under investigation have not had their data finalized.
The numbers in this table are provisional. County case numbers and deaths may change as investigation finds new or additional information about residence.
–Mississippi Department of Health
