The Mississippi State Department of Health announced an order on Friday telling all state residents infected with COVID-19 to isolate for ten days or possibly face up to five years in prison.
The order, issued by State Health Officer Dr Thomas Hobbs, asks Mississippians that they ‘must immediately home-isolate on first knowledge of infection with COVID-19,’ regardless of vaccination status.
Hobb’s directive comes into play at a critical time for the states as it continues to battle surges in positive COVID-19 cases.
With more than just a third of the population fully vaccinated against the virus at 36.6 percent, Mississippi is the second-lowest vaccinated state in the country, just behind Alabama, which has a 36.1 percent rate, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The mandate precisely hints that people who test positive for COVID-19 must stay at home until they’re ‘fever free for at least 24 hours’ and exhibit ‘improvement of other symptoms.’
However, a negative COVID-19 test is not required to end isolation after ten days of isolation are up.
Mississippi State Health Officer Dr Thomas Dobbs (left) issued a new health order that was declared in motion on Friday in a bid to decrease the already-high infection rate in Mississippi which has the worst vaccination rate in the country (right)
COVID-19 cases in Mississippi between April 2020 and July 2021: As of August 22, Mississippi has registered 7,249 positive cases. On Friday, a record high 5,048 new cases were reported. The previous highest one-day total was August 13, with 5,023 cases.
Mississippi is the state with the third-worst death rate per 100,00 people in the U.S from COVID-19, according to Statista, trailing New Jersey and New York
People who will have to quarantine at home should avoid coming into contact with other cohabitants, including family members.
The order strongly recommends no visitors and that people who have tested positive to wear a face mask, should there be no way to avoid interaction with others.
Individuals who are caught defying the order’s rules will be fined $500 and might face imprisonment for six months.
If a life-threatening disease is involved, then an person’s ‘failure or refusal to obey the lawful order of a health officer is a felony, punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment for up to five years or both.’
Desperate times calls for desperate measures, as the ‘Delta’ variant of the virus has been spreading across Mississippi.
Just eight days ago, an eighth-grade girl died from COVID-19 a day after testing positive for the virus. The school she attended had no requirements to wear masks put in place.
Eighth grade Mkayla Robinson passed away from COVID-19 on Saturday after reportedly testing positive on Friday
‘We are clearly at the worst part of the pandemic that we’ve seen throughout, and it’s continued to worsen,’ Dobbs said at a press conference earlier this week.
‘We’re seeing higher and higher numbers of not just cases but hospitalizations, people in intensive care units, life support. And sadly, as we’ve seen, additional deaths are going to follow.’
‘Without a doubt we have surpassed our previous peaks by a substantial margin, and we expect to see that continue.’
Compared to other states, Mississippi is experiencing high levels of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations due to the ‘Delta’ variant.
Outbreaks have been identified in youth camps, faith-based gatherings, funerals and other social events.
The state’s department of health recommends wearing a masks in all indoor public settings, even if individuals are double-jabbed, but no mandate for it has been put in place.
So far, Mississippi registered 7,249 positive cases and 56 new COVID-19 related deaths since August 22. On Friday, a record high 5,048 new cases were reported.
From the start of the pandemic, the Magnolia state has recorded more than 400,000 positive cases and just under 8,000 COVID-19 related deaths, according to the New York Times.
Mississippi has started to see its third, and highest, peak of COVID-19 cases. On Friday, a record high 5,048 new cases were reported in the state