NATCHEZ. Miss. – The widening spread of COVID in Natchez compelled the mayor and city aldermen to hold their bimonthly meeting virtually Tuesday rather than gathering together after some City Hall staffers were exposed to the virus and are now quarantined.
Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson reiterated his “urgent call” for everybody to continue wearing masks in public, washing hands and staying as physically apart as possible from others outside their households .
Adams County this past week experienced its largest weekly spike in new COVID-19 cases since March, when the Mississippi Department of Health began compiling data about the coronavirus. The latest count of Adams County residents who’ve been infected totaled 1,981 – up 135 from the 1,846 on Jan. 4.
At least 65 Adams County residents have died from the highly contagious respiratory disease. Among them is Adams County Tax Collector Rose Patterson, who died Monday. Gibson and city aldermen extended sympathy to her family at Tuesday’s meeting.
While they’ve been meeting in-person at the Natchez Convention Center since July, the mayor and aldermen opted Tuesday to convene via teleconference webcast live on the city’s Facebook page.
COVID vaccinations are ramping up in Natchez and throughout the country. Inoculations in Mississippi are being phased in quicker than earlier planned. Gov. Tate Reeves announced Tuesday that people at least age 65 or who have a chronic medical condition — such as cancer, obesity or heart disease — are now eligible for the vaccination.
Drive-through vaccinations are being provided in Natchez at the Adams County Health Department on U.S. 61 north. The next inoculations will be given there Thursday, according to the Department of Health. Appointments are required and can be made via the Department of Health’s website: www.msdh.ms.gov. Appointments can also be made by telephoning 877-978-6453 or 601-965-4071
COVID vaccines are also being distributed to private medical facilities. As of Monday, none in Natchez were listed by the state Department of Health as vaccination sites. The closest are medical facilities in Fayette, Port Gibson and Brookhaven A list of vaccinations sites can be viewed at www.msdh.ms.gov
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The next phase of vaccinations in Mississippi will innoculate educators and first-responders, such as police officers. Additional phases will be implemented in the coming weeks to eventually include anybody who wants to be inoculated.
Among those exposed to someone with the virus is Natchez Fire Chief Robert Arrington. Meeting via teleconference Tuesday with the mayor and city board while quarantined at home, Arrington expressed hopes tests will show he’s not infected. He noted how vulnerable firefighters are to the virus when responding to calls. The board on Tuesday did adopt a policy to require Natchez firefighters to be tested for COVID before returning to work for their multi-day shifts.
While vaccines get distributed to protect people from COVID, more people will be infected until widespread public immunity is achieved. Mississippi has imposed various restrictions and mandates to slow the spread of the coronavirus. They include the requirement to wear masks in public places where crowds congregate and limits on the number of people gathered together. While the current mandates expire Friday, Reeves indicated they will be extended.
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