Christmas Parade floats cut
The Philadelphia Christmas Parade will be limited to half of normal float participants due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was announced Tuesday.
Spectators will not be limited, but are encouraged to social distance, officials said, as coronavirus numbers hover about the same in Neshoba County.
“To comply with COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines, Philadelphia Main Street has decided to host this year’s parade at half capacity,” the Community Development Partnership announced on Facebook.
“Philadelphia Main Street will allow up to 65 parade entries, and Friday, November 13 is the final deadline for all entry applications. All parade spectators are strongly encouraged to wear masks and social distance to help maintain a safe and healthy community.”
The parade is Monday, Dec. 7 at 6 p.m.
“I definitely see the parade attendance being smaller,” said Chamber/Main Street Director Tim Moore. “By cutting the entries down, that will also shrink the crowd size. But we’re still hoping for a good turnout. Main Street is encouraging everyone to stay safe, wear masks, and enjoy this holiday season.”
After a couple weeks of trending upward in cases, overall numbers in Neshoba County are on the decline, according to the latest information from a The New York Times database.
Neshoba remains among multiple counties under a mask order and additional safety measures that limit social gatherings in an effort to combat COVID-19 spread that went into effect by an executive order from Gov. Tate Reeves two weeks ago.
The order is set to expire today, Wednesday, Nov. 11.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Governor’s Office had not responded to whether or not the order would be extended.
A report from the Mississippi State Department of Health released on Nov. 3, shows a total of 50 COVID cases in the Neshoba County School District since classes began in August.
Sixteen cases have been reported at the elementary school, 10 at the middle school, and 24 at the high school.
For the week of Oct. 26-30, the district had zero students quarantined.
Philadelphia High School and Philadelphia Elementary have had no increase of cases, with 18 total reported since August at the high school, with 1-5 at the elementary school.
The total cases here, as of Tuesday, was 1,973. The state reported 111 COVID-related deaths in Neshoba County, no increase from last week.
The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians has reported a total of 1,253 positive cases among Tribal members.
The Tribe saw an increase of 31 positive cases within the last week.
The Tribe has tested 6,829 members, with 5,441 negative results. Of the positive cases, 1,146 have recovered, 85 have died and three remain hospitalized.