Pike County reported only three new cases of coronavirus Tuesday morning amid a statewide spike in deaths attributed to the disease as health officials work to rapidly increase access to testing.
In an address Monday afternoon, Gov. Tate Reeves said his goal is to open the state economy on April 20 but that he’s working with health officials and the federal government to coordinate the decision.
“As soon as it is safe to do so, and responsible to do so, we are going to open things back up,” Reeves said. “We’re going to work with the President and his team.”
Reeves said the decision to delay elective surgeries and other procedures statewide was a prudent one, as large hospital systems throughout the state still have plenty of available beds. However, the state developed an emergency-overload hospital at Camp Shelby in Forrest County and is considering another near a community college in north Mississippi.
The contingency hospitals would be used to treat coronavirus patients not in need of critical care or who had recovered but may still be contagious.
The state might experience an economic speed bump, Reeves said, because 40% of state revenues are collected in the last quarter of the fiscal year.
Cases in Pike County increased to 62 Tuesday with only one death and one long term care facility outbreak reported.
Statewide demographic data show stark racial divides in terms of which Mississippians are being diagnosed with coronavirus. More than half of all cases are diagnosed among African Americans while roughly a third are among whites and 7% are attributed to other races. Among patients who have died, 67% of death were African American.
Health experts say environmental factors are to blame for the difference, not biological ones. Underlying health conditions associated with environmental stressors including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension and obesity exacerbate bad health outcomes among African Americans at a higher rate than whites, according to state data.
Coronavirus cases among 40 to 80 year olds make up the vast majority of statewide cases, however there has been significant transmission among those aged 18-29 as well. That demographic has seen 237 confirmed cases. And among hospitalized patients, about half between the ages of 60 and 80, accounting for 301 of 596 of those cases.
Lincoln County’s confirmed cases increased by seven to 56 on Tuesday. Four people have died there and outbreaks in two long term care facilities have previously been reported.
Walthall County’s confirmed cases remained at 22 Tuesday.
Amite County’s cases remained at 14 with one previously reported death and an outbreak at a long-term care facility.
Franklin County remained at 10 cases and Lawrence County increased by one to seven.
Wilkinson County, which was hit early and particularly hard, reported no new coronavirus cases Tuesday. Three deaths and a long term care facility outbreak were previously reported in the county.
Wilkinson County will be the site of a one-day virus drive-thru testing location, according to University of Mississippi Medical Center and the Mississippi State Department of Health officials.
Testing will be available at the Wilkinson County Emergency Management Agency, 1495 Highway 61 S., Woodville, on Thursday.
In order to be tested, patients must undergo a screening and receive an appointment beforehand.
State health officials reported 145 new cases and 13 new deaths statewide on Monday. The state has 3,087 confirmed cases and 111 deaths since March 11.
The state’s public health lab has tested 9,412 people as of April 5, while private laboratories have tested 28,321 people for a total of 37,733.
There were nearly two-million confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide Tuesday morning and 121,726 deaths.
Mississippi remains under a statewide stay-at-home order in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus. Health officials are allowing people to venture outside to procure essential goods and services, but are recommending they wear face masks when they leave their homes.
