In a delicate balancing act between the state’s economy and public health due to the COVID-19 virus, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves will announce later this week whether or not to let his shelter-in-place executive order expire on Monday or extend it for a second time.
Regardless of the governor’s decision the city of Forest will remain under the shelter-in-place order issued earlier this month by Mayor Nancy Chambers and the board of aldermen and the 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. curfew will remain in order for non-essential workers until at least April 30.
“The governor amended his executive order to allow salons and other small businesses to provide curbside sales of merchandise but that doesn’t apply to the city of Forest,” Chambers said Tuesday. “The governor himself has stated numerous times that the statewide order is a base line and that local executive orders take precedent over the state order. Nothing has changed in the city of Forest. We are, however, constantly monitoring the situation and will make a change as quickly as we deem it safe, but as of now nothing has changed.”
The city of Morton also has a 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. curfew that was issued by order of Mayor Gerald Keeton and the board last week and it is set to expire when the state shelter-in-place order is lifted.
As of press time on Tuesday Scott County ranked fifth in the state with 158 positive cases of COVID-19 outpacing even more highly populated metro counties of Rankin with 146 and Madison with 144. Tuesday morning’s numbers show statewide Hinds County has the largest number of positive cases with 357, followed by Desoto County, 239; Lauderdale County, 232; and Jackson County 211. Other surrounding counties also report significantly lower numbers of positive cases of the virus than Scott, with Newton at 32 cases, Smith with 50 cases and Leake with 99 cases.
Lackey Memorial Hospital CEO Sydney Sawyer, RN, said Tuesday that part of the reason Scott County’s numbers are higher is due to more testing.
“We’re doing a lot more testing than some of the surrounding counties simply because we had the ability to do so,” Sawyer said, “and I think that is part of the reason our numbers are higher. We are testing anyone that shows up with the symptoms.”
Sawyer said Lackey’s clinics and the emergency room tested more patients on Monday than they have since testing began and have tested over 450 all together.
“We started seeing a bunch more in the clinics and the emergency room over the weekend,” Sawyer said, adding that the drive through clinic which is open all day Monday through Friday and half of a day on Saturdays only tested a couple of people the first two Saturday’s it was open but spiked this past Saturday to 24.
“We have two (COVID-19 positive patients) in the hospital now and we’ve had up to five since the weekend. Two we moved to Jackson and one went home,” Sawyer said.
The CEO added that with the patients they have seen day five or six appears to be the critical point. “It seems like day five or six they start getting worse and that’s when we make a decision to move them. With the two yesterday, their oxygenation levels began to get worse and we decided it was time to transfer them on to Jackson where they could get better care than we are capable of providing for them here.”
“I’m assuming we are getting over the hump. I hope we are anyway,” Sawyer said when asked if the governor should let the shelter-in-place executive order expire on Monday. “I personally think we need another week or two of shelter in place but that’s just my opinion.”
As of press time on Tuesday Scott County had yet to report a COVID-19 related death but statewide there had been 183 deaths recorded and 4,716 positive cases reported.
As a reminder the city of Forest’s shelter-in-place order specifies the following:
• Social distancing of at least six feet and no gathering of ten people or more must be practiced.
• All personal care and grooming businesses, including but not limited to, barber shops, beauty salons, nail salons, spas, massage parlors, exercise studios, fitness centers and facilities, gyms and other similar businesses shall close.
• All places of public amusement and recreation facilities, whether indoors or outdoors, including but not limited to parks, libraries, children party or play facilities shall close.
• All restaurants, with or without drive-through services, may only provide take-out, pick-up, or delivery or drive-through services. There shall not be inside or outside dining, or available sitting areas for the public.
• During COVID-19, shopping for essentials should not be a family activity. Children under 16 years of age shall not be allowed in public businesses.
• A city wide curfew will be in effect from 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m.
• All essential businesses are encouraged to follow CDC guidelines.
Violation of the order will be considered a misdemeanor and punishable by a fine of up to $500.
Pictured, Members of the SouthernCare Hospice team served meals to healthcare workers at Lackey Memorial Hospital last Wednesday in a show of support.
