The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the coronavirus can be spread by tiny airborne droplets that can linger in the air for hours and reach further than six feet. Dr. LouAnn Woodward is Vice Chancellor of the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She says she knows people are tired of the virus and want a sense of normalcy. But Woodward says with cooler temperatures coming, the risk of spreading the virus will continue and could even grow.
“We have to be extra careful particularly indoors where when it might be difficult everywhere you go in doors to have that six feet apart. That’s even more reason why it is important to wear the mask and be extra careful,” said Woodward.
Mississippi has surpassed the 100,000 milestone in the number of cases of COVID 19. More than 3,000 people have died. In August, the state led the nation in positive tests and was second in cases per capita. That’s when Governor Tate Reeves issued a statewide mask mandate. He ended it last week, saying the number of cases has declined enough that he can’t justify keeping it in place. Dr. Woodward.
“Speaking from the healthcare side of it I would like to see us continue the statewide mask mandate and I am very pleased that a number of mayors across for their own city that they would continue the mask mandate,” said Woodward.
Some of the cities that are keeping the mandate in place include Jackson, Hattiesburg and Meridian.
