Mississippi then and now: Marking 1 year since first COVID-19 case
500,000 vaccinated; 298,000 cases; 6,800 deaths in Mississippi from COVID-19
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Updated: 10:20 AM CST Mar 9, 2021
500,000 vaccinated; 298,000 cases; 6,800 deaths in Mississippi from COVID-19
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Updated: 10:20 AM CST Mar 9, 2021
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REFLECTIONS OF THE PAST YEAR, AND HOW TO BE PREPARED FOR THE NEXT POTENTIAL VIRUS. WHAT A YEAR IT'S BEEN... HEALTH OFFICIALS REFLECTING ON WHEN THEY FIRST LEARNED ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS IN WUHAN, CHINA... THEY SOON REALIZED THAT IT WOULD A DEADLY FOE FOR MISSISSIPPIANS. THAT FIRST CORONAVIRUS CASE...WAS ANNOUNCED ON MARCH 11TH 2020... IT WAS FOLLOWED BY CRITICAL MOMENTS IN THIS PAST YEAR MISSISSIPPI HAD IT'S FIRST SURGE FROM MARCH TO APRIL... THE SECOND WAVE IN THE STATE CAME AFTER THE 4TH OF JULY.. THE 3RD SURGE OF THE VIRUS HAPPENED WHEN THANKSGIVING ARRIVED...IT CONTINUED THRU THE HOLIDAYS AND INTO JANUARY OF 2021... GOVERNOR TATE REEVES ON CNN'S STATE OF THE UNION SAID HIS PLAN WAS NOT TO STOP THE VIRUS, BUT TO TRY TO NOT OVERBURDEN OUR HOSPITALS... THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC OUR APPROACH HAS BEEN TO NOT ONLY PROTECT LIVES, BUT TO ALSO PROTECT LIVELIHOODS. WE HAVE TO GET OUR ECONOMY ROLLING, SO THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN GET BACK TO WORK...UM, AND I THINK THAT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT STATE HEALTH OFFICER DR. THOMAS DOBBS SAYS THE VACCINES THAT ARE NOW BEING DISTRIBUTED WERE DEVELOPED QUICKLY, BUT THEY CAME FROM DECADES OF RESEARCH... WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WHEN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HIT US, THAT THE VACCINE MAKER WERE READY SET TO SHIP FOR THEIR MESSENGER RNA TECHNOLOGY LIKE FLU AND OTHER INFECTIONS AND APPLY IT FOR USE FOR COVID DR. DOBBS SAYS THERE NEEDS TO BE GREATER FUNDING FOR PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE FUTURE. HE SAYS AGENCIES LIKE HIS NEED MORE FUNDING FOR RESOURCES TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY. HE ALSO REMINDS US THE PANDEMIC IS NOT OVER... ALL OVER THE STATE IVE SEEN OVER THE PAST WEEK .. PEOPLE CONTINUE TO SHOW GOOD BEHAVIOR BY WEARING MASK IN PUBLIC AND I JUST WANT US TO KEEP THAT UP. I'M PROUD OF MISSISSIPPI...IM PROUD OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. 16 WAPT'S TROY JOHNSON LIVE TONIGHT... TROY...STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS REFLECTING ON THIS MILESTONE... WHAT ARE THEY SAYING ABOUT MOVING FORWARD? AS FOR NOW, DR. DOBBS SAYS THE STATE IS SEEING A DOWNWARD TREND IN CASES ALONG WITH SOME DECLINE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS, AND PATIENTS NEEDING ICU CARE... ALL PART OF WHAT HE DESCRIBES AS "PROMISING INDICATORS" THAT WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION... BUT HE SAYS WE NEED TO CONTINUE WITH MASKS, S