By Alyssa Schnugg
News editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com
Lafayette County has positive COVID-19 cases in two long-term care facilities; however, patients were only affected in one.
Lafayette County Emergency Management Director Steven Quarles said North Mississippi Regional Center has had 35 positive cases among its clients who live there. Quarles said many of the clients who tested positive have not shown symptoms.
“A big concern is when we do see cases at long-term care facilities because those numbers can escalate quickly,” Quarles said Monday during the regular meeting of the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors. “And it has the potential to be more harmful to those who are at a higher risk.”
Oxford Health and Rehab had three employees test positive, Quarles said.
“They have no positive cases among the residents,” he said. “We’ve tested numerous other employees and residents and all have come back negative.”
As of Monday, Lafayette County has had a total of 93 cases; however, Quarles said when cases that are older than 14 days from when someone first exhibits symptoms are backed out, it leaves about 24 active cases in the county outside of the long-term care facilities.
“It’s probably not completely accurate,” he said.
Lafayette County is ranked 26th in the state for the number of cases.
“We wish it wasn’t that many but as far as with our population (14th highest in the state), that’s lower than it could be,” he said.
In Mississippi, there are a total of 7,877 cases and 300 deaths. Using the 14-day back-out system, about 4,421 have recovered.
Lafayette County has had three COVID-19-related deaths.
“I think the work that has been done in the city and the county is showing up in our numbers,” Quarles said.
Quarles said there hasn’t been enough time to see if the recent relaxing of restrictions on state and local levels will have any effect on local numbers.
“But so far there hasn’t been a dramatic effect from opening retail places,” he said.
The Board of Supervisors voted to extend the local state of emergency resolution for another 30 days.
Recent Comments