6 Neshoba students test positive
Six students in the Neshoba County Schools have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus since classes resumed two weeks ago, Superintendent Dr. Lundy Brantley said on Tuesday.
These numbered are from the previous week, Aug. 10-14, Brantley said. Each school reported two cases.
Brantley said the district reports the numbers of COVID-19 infection to the Mississippi State Department of Health each Monday morning, but MSDH has yet to upload those numbers to the state website.
“We are going to have students with COVID throughout the year,” Brantley said. “We are going to follow CDC guidelines and do everything we can to keep our students and staff safe.”
Philadelphia Public Schools began the fall term on Monday.
As state high schools gear up for the football season set to begin in a few weeks, an executive order by Gov. Tate Reeves will limit the number of spectators to avoid large crowds at K-12 extracurricular activities.
Reeves amended the Safe Return order, placing an attendance cap on all K-12 extracurricular activities, such as football and band concerts, to no more than two spectators per participant. Each extracurricular event must have a dedicated Safety Officer to ensure all social distancing measures are followed as well.
“Sports and these other activities are instrumental in the lives of our young Mississippians. They teach discipline and responsibility in a way that can’t be replicated,” said Reeves at his press briefing Friday.
“That said, we are living through a pandemic. One of my greatest concerns heading into this school season has been sports and those other events which cause the community to come out in crowds. Twenty-two players on a field are not going to overwhelm a local hospital. Two thousand people in a small school’s bleachers might.”
Neshoba County’s COVID-19 infection rate continues to increase again, according to data from The New York Times.
Last week, Neshoba County had an infection rate of 4,417 per 100,000 residents. This week, that infection rate rose to 4,592 per 100,000 residents.
New COVID-19 cases in Mississippi have dropped by 42 percent in the last two weeks, however.
Gov. Reeves said on Monday the state peaked on July 29, but Mississippians shouldn’t let their guard down or it would return like it did in June.
As of Monday, Reeves said they had reports of COVID outbreaks in schools in 71 of the state’s 82 counties, including Neshoba.
Reeves said across the state there were 245 cases among teachers and 189 amongst students.
“Everyone please double down, mask up and socially distance,” he said.
Mississippi had its highest daily case numbers peak over 1,600 near the end of July.
In Neshoba County, 59 cases have been identified in the last week, bringing the total here to 1,337, despite the downward trend across the state.
On Tuesday, the Mississippi State Department of Health announced only 795 new cases of COVID-19, along with 34 new deaths.
In total, 73,207 Mississippians have either been confirmed or presumed to have COVID-19, with 2,128 total deaths.
The state remains under a mandatory mask order issued by Gov. Tate Reeves two weeks ago in the latest attempt to slow the spread of the virus. The order is set to expire on Aug. 31.
Mississippians are also under a statewide public health order that requires anyone who has tested positive and not in the hospital to isolate immediately or face fines or possible jail time.
Failure to comply can result in a minimum misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $500 or six months imprisonment or both. When a life-threatening disease is involved, failure to obey is a felony, punishable by a fine up to $5,000 or five years imprisonment or both.
As of Tuesday, the state reported 96 COVID-related deaths in Neshoba County, up four from 92 last week. There have been 109 cases in long-term care facilities and 36 deaths.
The MSDH is reporting statewide that hospitalizations have declined from 932 to 929 since last week, with ICU patients down from 328 to 284. Ventilator usage dropped from 196 to 163.
The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians has reported a total of 1,062 positive cases among Tribal members, with nearly half of those coming from the Pearl River community.
The Tribe only saw an increase of 9 positive cases within the last week. The Tribe has tested 3,805 members, with 2,679 negative results. Of the positive cases, 975 have recovered, 77 have died and four are still hospitalized.
The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and Choctaw Health Center have teamed up with the Mississippi State Department of Health to provide free COVID-19 testing to Choctaw and surrounding residents Thursday through Saturday.
The testing will take place from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at the parking garage/ground floor of the Silver Star Hotel & Casino. No screening is necessary for anyone that wants to get testing.
Officials said Tuesday this will be a drive-thru test site with a nasal swab and anti-body blood testing provided.