Mayor walks back mask mandate
Philadelphia Mayor James A. Young said he misspoke last week in issuing a new mask mandate for Philadelphia after the governor lifted the state mandate.
“It really was not a mandate and was basically a strong emphasis from me to keep the mask-wearing going but leave it up to individuals and businesses to decide whether to wear a mask,” Young said Tuesday. “It is just my strong recommendation for that.”
Meanwhile, the state opened up vaccinations for any 50 and over.
The mask recommendation from the mayor will be in place through the end of April, but Young said he will look at it again at the end of March, Young told the Democrat on Friday.
Young said the mask recommendation carries no force of law, has no paperwork and is not a legal document but rather his recommendation.
Young said the number of COVID-19 infections is decreasing in the city and Neshoba County but now is not the time to let the mask-wearing go.
“We need to let more people get vaccinated, and a mask (recommendation) is a simple thing we can do until it is over,” Young said. “The virus is too dangerous to play with.”
Young said if some people choose not to wear a mask, people should not argue or fight over the recommendation.
“Be reasonable and respectful,” Young said.
Young said early on in the COVID-19 pandemic Neshoba County was a hot spot in the state with a high number of COVID-19 infections, and he does not want to see local numbers spike again.
“Businesses are operating well now and the sales taxes are up,” Young said. “It is important to keep people safe and keep businesses open and wearing a mask is a simple way to do that.”
A mask mandate remains in place for Choctaw Tribal lands, Chief Cyrus Ben announced earlier in the week.
Gov. Tate Reeves last week lifted the state mask mandate.
Over the past week, Neshoba County recorded 44 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and three new COVID-19 deaths, according to Tuesday’s Mississippi State Department of Health COVID-19 report.
Neshoba County has now recorded 3,861 confirmed COVID-19 cases up from 3,817 last week, and 172 deaths, up from 169 last week, since the pandemic began last March.
During the past week, 638 people were vaccinated for COVID-19 in Neshoba County for a total of 5,699 total vaccinations administered in the county, according to the MSDH.
The state, however, does not designate in what county the recipients reside, and the Democrat has numerous reports of residents from other counties coming here for the vaccination.
The state of Mississippi is currently giving COVID-19 immunizations for the following:
• All healthcare workers and EMT/paramedics
• Persons age 50 or older or those with pre-existing conditions.
• Teachers, first-responders
Vaccinations are currently being administered in Neshoba County at the Coliseum, 12000 Mississippi 15 north, Philadelphia, on Tuesdays through Fridays by appointment.
Sign up online at covidvaccine.umc.edu or call 1-877-978-6453. The website is the best option, officials have said.
Selected Walmart pharmacies and local clinics and hospitals are now offering a limited number of COVID-19 vaccinations. Go to https://msdh.ms.gov/c19appointment#local to check availability.
The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians reported 14 new COVID-19 cases in the past week for a total of 1,822 positive cases, up from 1,808 in last week’s report.
The Tribe reported three new deaths from COVID-19 in the past week for a total of 111 deaths from the virus, with two current hospitalizations.
Some Tribal deaths may also be included in the Neshoba death total, but officials make no distinction.
Mississippi’s total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases now stands at 184,475 with another 113,533 probable cases for a total of 298,008 COVID-19 cases and 4,753 confirmed deaths and 2,081 probable COVID-19 deaths for a total of 6,834 COVID-19 deaths, since the pandemic began last March.
The state had not updated the schools report by press time Tuesday afternoon.