(June 2, 2020) – The coronavirus is surging again in Jones County, and it has grabbed the attention of county leaders. The Jones County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting Tuesday morning to address the rapid spike in COVID-19 cases in the county over the past couple of weeks. Jones County now is the number one county in Mississippi in newly reported COVID-19 cases and also the number nine county in America for new cases. The upswing in cases in Jones is primarily through community transmission, noted officials, and not from a specific company or industry, like poultry for example, as it has been in other areas.
Even though Governor Tate Reeves has begun the multi-stage process of relaxing COVID-19 restrictions, the supervisors and the Jones County Sheriff’s Department are urging local residents to please continue to practice social distancing, perform regular washing of hands with soap and water, use hand sanitizer often, and be sure and use face masks when outside of your home.
“This stuff is serious. It will kill you,” said Board President Johnny Burnett. “We met with the doctors, Dr. Dobbs and Dr. Horne, last night, and they are concerned with the seriousness of this, and they are concerned that the public is not taking this seriously enough.”
The supervisors are exercising caution at the courthouses and other county-controlled buildings. They have hired nursing students and situated them at the entrances of the courthouses to take the temperature of those entering the facilities, and they voted to extend the closure of the county’s community centers until June 15. The chancery, circuit and tax assessor-collector offices all have restricted public use at this time, and individuals entering the courthouses for circuit or chancery related court business must wear face masks to enter the courtrooms – that mandate was issued by the State Supreme Court, said Chancery Court Clerk Bart Gavin. The supervisors have hired security officers from Pro-Tec to make sure that anyone entering the courthouses comply with the new safety restrictions, including submitting to the temperature check. The board members will review the safety precaution measures on June 15 and determine then to maintain them a while longer or lift them.
The supervisors assured Circuit Court Clerk Concetta Brooks that the county’s precinct locations will be open on June 23 so that the special election to fill the District 88 House of Representative’s seat can take place. Robin Robinson, Michael Walker and Jason Dykes are the three candidates vying to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Ramona Blackledge. The board also unanimously voted to continue to allow practices at the Merchants Park ball fields in Ellisville, but no games will be allowed until at least June 15.
Paul Sheffield, Jones County’s Emergency Operations Center director, and a coach at Merchants Park, said it’s going to be difficult to have a baseball season at this point of the year. Sheffield said the season was scheduled to start this year the last weekend of March, before COVID-19 disrupted things.
“It’s a sad situation all around,” added Beat 2 Supervisor Larry Dykes, who pointed out that fees had been paid and uniforms bought for the young players. “I know the parents want to play. Some things you just can’t do anything about.”
The supervisors made no announcements related to funeral or church gatherings, other than to encourage attendees of services to follow state recommended guidelines and to act responsibly with their fellow citizens in mind.
“Anything we can control as a board, like the ball fields and community centers, we should,” said Beat 3 Supervisor Phil Dickerson. “But we can’t control individuals.”
The Mississippi State Department of Health today reported 268 new COVID-19 cases and 28 additional deaths in Mississippi, including three new deaths in Jones County and one new death each in Forrest and Wayne counties. Jones County now has 663 confirmed cases with 31 total deaths. Seventeen of those deaths have been in long-term care facilities. The state of Mississippi now has 16,020 reported COVID-19 cases with 767 deaths. Over half (395) of the state’s total coronavirus related deaths have been in LTC facilities.