As Gov. Tate Reeves extends restrictions for Lauderdale and four other counties until June 8, two facilities housing inmates in Meridian are reporting confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Five inmates at the East Mississippi Correctional Facility have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

A correctional officer at the Lauderdale County Detention Facility also tested positive last week, the sheriff’s department said Friday.

The officer has been under quarantine, according to Chief Deputy Ward Calhoun.

No other staff or inmates have tested positive and anyone coming into the jail is being screened, Calhoun said.

Visitors are still not permitted at the jail, according to the sheriff’s department.

LEMA to hand out masks

The Lauderdale Emergency Management Agency is partnering with the city of Meridian and city and county fire departments to distribute more than 25,000 masks to the community from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 30 at several locations.

City distribution sites include Oakland Heights Elementary School, Crestwood Elementary School, Velma Young Community Center and Frank Cochran Center.

County distribution sites include Southeast Lauderdale High School, West Lauderdale Elementary School, Northeast Lauderdale Middle School and Clarkdale Attendance Center.

Masks are limited to four per vehicle.

Reeves extended an executive order Friday that applies to Lauderdale, Neshoba, Jasper, Holmes and Wayne counties.

According to the order, employees of all businesses should be screened daily and must wear a mask if they cannot maintain 6 feet of distance from others.

In retail businesses, all customers must wear a mask, as well as employees who come in direct contact with customers, the order states.

Everyone in public must maintain 6 feet of distance from others and those attending outdoor public events, such as live auctions or flea markets, will be required to wear a mask.

Group gatherings and activities are limited to 10 people inside and 20 people outside.

The governor announced Wednesday that all businesses in Mississippi will be permitted to reopen Monday, June 1 with certain restrictions.

The Safe Return order is in effect at 8 a.m Monday until Monday, June 15.

Reeves is also allowing museums, movie theaters, libraries, bowling alleys and ballparks to open Monday.

Indoor places of amusement must be deep-cleaned before they can open and no more than 50% of maximum capacity is allowed.

Bowling balls, trampolines and other equipment used by customers must be sanitized after each use.

Event Zona and Rebound Trampoline Park in Meridian plans to reopen Monday for the first time since mid-March, according to manager Jim Walker.

Staff will be wearing masks and deep cleaning the building and customers will be asked to wear masks in certain areas, he said.

The Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience will open on Tuesday with no-touch measures, according to a news release.

Staff are required to wear masks and guests will be asked to wear them and practice social distancing.

For youth sports, players must be screened by a coach before entering the field, dugouts are closed and parents and guardians must remain in their cars during practice, according to the governor’s order.

Visits to hospitals and nursing homes remain prohibited with some exceptions, like visits to patients receiving end-of-life care or maternity patients.

Reception halls, conference centers and playgrounds may reopen, along with public school buildings used for summer programs, under the order.

While playgrounds and basketball courts remain closed in Meridian, Mayor Percy Bland said Friday that he expected they would open soon.

Mississippi health officials reported 17 new cases of COVID-19 in Lauderdale County Friday, for a total of 730 and one additional death, for a total of 59.

As of Friday, Anderson Regional Medical Center reported it was hospitalizing 21 patients who have tested positive for COVID-19.

Rush Foundation Hospital is not reporting daily COVID-19 hospitalizations.

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 418 new cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi Friday – the highest daily increase reported so far – for a total of 14,790. Health officials reported 17 additional deaths, for a total of 710 deaths statewide.

Four of the deaths occurred between May 11 and May 15 and were identified from death certificate reports, MSDH said.

Cases and Deaths by County

Totals of all reported cases since March 11, including those in long-term care (LTC) facilities.

County	Total Cases	Total Deaths	Total LTC Facility Cases	Total LTC Facility Deaths
Adams	192	15	43	8
Alcorn	16	1	0	0
Amite	59	1	9	1
Attala	287	15	79	14
Benton	15	0	1	0
Bolivar	156	11	17	4
Calhoun	63	4	23	4
Carroll	118	11	46	9
Chickasaw	132	12	34	8
Choctaw	39	2	0	0
Claiborne	72	2	8	1
Clarke	139	18	17	7
Clay	111	4	0	0
Coahoma	120	4	0	0
Copiah	298	4	0	0
Covington	159	2	1	0
Desoto	520	7	19	2
Forrest	534	38	87	27
Franklin	28	2	2	1
George	21	1	0	0
Greene	11	1	0	0
Grenada	88	3	14	2
Hancock	87	11	9	3
Harrison	251	7	3	2
Hinds	971	25	80	13
Holmes	389	24	80	12
Humphreys	59	7	16	5
Itawamba	85	7	33	6
Jackson	302	13	40	4
Jasper	152	4	1	0
Jefferson	41	1	0	0
Jefferson Davis	77	2	4	1
Jones	576	25	81	13
Kemper	144	11	32	7
Lafayette	130	4	38	1
Lamar	235	5	5	2
Lauderdale	730	59	190	38
Lawrence	102	1	1	0
Leake	409	12	1	0
Lee	139	6	18	1
Leflore	255	30	84	17
Lincoln	250	27	86	21
Lowndes	200	9	19	5
Madison	709	23	101	12
Marion	114	9	14	2
Marshall	81	3	2	0
Monroe	254	25	92	22
Montgomery	81	1	0	0
Neshoba	606	38	67	21
Newton	263	4	4	0
Noxubee	179	6	14	3
Oktibbeha	233	11	42	7
Panola	66	3	0	0
Pearl River	207	31	45	11
Perry	50	3	0	0
Pike	202	11	15	6
Pontotoc	29	3	3	1
Prentiss	51	3	22	3
Quitman	25	0	0	0
Rankin	399	7	6	0
Scott	640	11	13	2
Sharkey	7	0	0	0
Simpson	95	0	5	0
Smith	148	11	30	7
Stone	30	0	0	0
Sunflower	79	3	0	0
Tallahatchie	26	1	0	0
Tate	81	1	2	0
Tippah	71	11	0	0
Tishomingo	30	0	1	0
Tunica	53	3	12	2
Union	81	5	20	4
Walthall	54	0	0	0
Warren	163	8	37	6
Washington	165	7	8	1
Wayne	171	0	2	0
Webster	64	1	18	0
Wilkinson	86	9	5	2
Winston	109	1	0	0
Yalobusha	87	5	27	5
Yazoo	239	4	11	2
Total	14,790	710	1,839	358

Long-Term Care Facility Cases and Deaths by Race

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. (Long-term care facilities include nursing homes, intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, personal care homes, assisted living facilities, long-term acute care facilities, and psychiatric or chemical dependency residential treatment centers.)

–Mississippi Department of Health