The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) confirmed their first case in the state on March 12, 2020, in an individual from Forrest County who had recently traveled to Florida.[1] Three days later, on March 15, the state had a spike in cases (4) in the state bringing the total to 10.[2] On March 16, two new cases in the state, one in Pearl River County and another Monroe County.[3] On March 17, cases in the state jumped from 12 to 21, with 4 in Hinds County, 3 in Leflore County, one in Jackson County, and one in Harrison County. The next day, on March 18, cases spiked up to 34, with DeSoto County seeing their first case, along with Madison County and Perry County. Bolivar County saw their first 2 cases. The following day, on March 19, the state saw 16 cases and its first death.[4] Harris and Pearl River counties saw 3 new cases each, while the counties of DeSoto, Forrest, and Jackson counties saw one additional case, while at least one new case were reported in the counties of Holmes, Jones, Smith, Walthall, Wilkinson, Winston, and Yazoo. On March 20, the state saw 30 new cases, bringing the total up to 80. New cases were reported in Adams, Franklin, Humphreys, Lawrence, Lee, Marshall, Monroe, Pike, Rankin, Tippah, and Webster counties, while additional cases were reported in Coahoma, DeSoto, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Holmes, Jackson, and Madison counties.[5] On March 21, the state reported 60 new cases, jumping the total to 140.[6] March 22 saw 67 new cases in the state, with most counties in the state ending up with a new case.[7]
On July 21, 1,635 new cases and 31 new deaths were reported in the state.[9]
By July 31, the state was at 83% ICU capacity, with some hospitals completely full and transferring patients out of state.[10]
In June 2021, as Mississippi was one of five U.S. states with less than 35% of its population vaccinated, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, predicted the state was at risk for outbreaks of the Delta variant.[11]
Government responses
On March 14, two days after the first case was announced in the state, Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency, due to the impact of the coronavirus on the neighboring state of Louisiana. Louisiana at the time was the most infected state per capita.[12] Reeves recently came back from a trip from Spain (a country hit hard by the virus) and stated that he will voluntarily work from home for precautionary purposes.[12]
On March 21, the mayor of Tupelo, Jason Shelton, imposed a stay-at-home order that went into effect early on March 22.[14] The same day, Columbus put in a curfew from 10 pm to 6 am until further notice.[15]
On March 24, Governor Reeves issued an executive order deeming most businesses as "essential" including restaurants, bars and other establishments, and limiting dine-in services to 10 persons. The order also banned local governments from imposing stricter orders.[16] However, the wording of the executive order lead to some confusion among local governments on the authority of the state overriding that of restrictions put into place by municipalities and counties.[17] In response to criticism and confusion expressed by the public and local officials, Governor Reeves issued a supplemental order on March 26 that clarified that stricter restrictions put into place by local governing bodies were allowed.[18]
On April 1, a state-wide stay-at-home order was issued, requiring all non-essential businesses to close.[19] This overrode previous allowances for dine-in services in restaurants made in the March 24 executive order.[20] State health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs confirmed that MSDH is tracking the number of available ventilators and the number of healthcare workers infected with COVID-19, but will not release the numbers publicly. Dr. Dobbs cited the potential for fear and confusion from the numbers, despite other states like Louisiana providing them.[21] The April 1 order also included a provision to cease enforcement of eviction orders; however, on May 14, the governor ceased the suspension of evictions as of June 1.[22][23]
On April 17, Reeves extended the stay-at-home order through April 27, 2020, while allowing Coast beaches and state lakes to reopen for recreation, and businesses to perform curbside pickup and delivery.[24]
On April 27, the Governor reopened retail businesses, and elective dental and medical procedures resumed. However, on May 2, the governor postponed plans to reopen the economy after 397 new cases were confirmed, the largest increase Mississippi had experienced.[25]
Beginning May 12, the wearing of face masks would be required in public when social distancing is not possible, and inside businesses, within seven counties identified as having a high rate of new cases. This included Attala, Leake, Scott, Jasper, Neshoba, Newton and Lauderdale counties. On May 28, the order was extended through June 8 and to Wayne County, while Attala, Leake, Scott and Newton were removed from the order due to a reduced number of cases.[26][27]
As of June 9, 2020, Mississippi is using a 'presumed recovered' number of cases. The number is estimated based on it being 14 days or more since the case was tested positive, and they were not hospitalized, or 21 days since they tested positive, and they were hospitalized, or it is unknown if they were hospitalized.[citation needed]
On July 11, Reeves announced a new mask order covering Claiborne, De Soto, Grenada, Harrison, Hinds, Jackson, Jefferson, Madison, Quitman, Rankin, Sunflower, Washington, and Wayne counties, which took effect on July 13.[28]
Cases dropped by 54% after a statewide mask mandate was put in place on August 4, but began to rise again after that mandate was lifted on September 30. The statewide mandate was put in place as the county-by-county approach Reeves implemented over the summer failed to prevent a rising tide of new cases that threatened to overwhelm the state's hospitals. Despite calls from state health officials to reinstate the statewide mandate, the county by county approach remained in place as of November 14.[29]
On March 2, 2021, Governor Reeves scaled back on his COVID-19 restriction executive orders. However, local governments were not restricted from issuing their own measures. The orders were replaced with recommendations. Tate claimed that the time for government intervention was over, citing the massive drop in hospitalization cases.
Jonathan Tate Reeves is an American politician serving since 2020 as the 65th governor of Mississippi. A member of the Republican Party, Reeves served as the 32nd lieutenant governor of Mississippi from 2012 to 2020 and as the 53rd Mississippi State Treasurer from 2004 to 2012.
On March 1, 2020, the U.S. state of Florida officially reported its first two COVID-19 cases in Manatee and Hillsborough counties. There is evidence, however, that community spread of COVID-19 first began in Florida much earlier, perhaps as early as the first week of January, with as many as 171 people in Florida who had shown symptoms now identified with COVID-19, prior to receiving confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By March 11, the CDC saw evidence to conclude that community spread of the virus had occurred within the state.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Texas is a part of the ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The state of Texas confirmed its first case on February 13, 2020, among U.S. nationals evacuated from China to Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland beginning in early February; however, retrospective analyses have suggested a much earlier origin than previously thought. The first documented case of COVID-19 in Texas outside of evacuees at Lackland was confirmed on March 4 in Fort Bend County, and many of the state's largest cities recorded their first cases throughout March. The state recorded its first death associated with the disease on March 17 in Matagorda County.
The COVID-19 pandemic reached the U.S. state of Indiana on March 5, 2020, and was confirmed on March 6. As of July 12, 2021, the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) had confirmed 757,904 cases in the state and 13,496 deaths. As of July 3, 2020, all 92 counties had reported at least 10 cases with Pike County being the last to surpass this threshold.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Kansas is an ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky on March 6, 2020, when Governor Andy Beshear's office announced the first confirmed case in Cynthiana, Kentucky, and declared a state of emergency to ensure all entities had the necessary response resources. As of January 1, 2023, 1,667,275 cumulative cases of COVID-19 were confirmed, with 17,694 deaths.
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the U.S. state of Montana on March 14, 2020. As of June 4, 2021, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (MDPHHS) has reported 112,260 positive cases and 1,632 deaths in the state.
The COVID-19 pandemic in New Hampshire is part of an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The first confirmed case was reported on March 2, 2020. A state of emergency was declared March 13, which included a ban on gatherings of 50 or more people. A small group filed a lawsuit claiming the order infringed on their right to assemble and worship; a judge dismissed the suit. On March 26, all nonessential businesses were closed and Governor Chris Sununu advised people to only leave home for essential necessities. That stay-at-home order was extended several times before being allowed to expire on June 15. Through November 22, a total of 74 emergency orders had been issued by Sununu. Sununu lifted the mask mandate as of April 16, 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic reached the U.S. state of New Jersey with the first confirmed case occurring in Bergen County on March 2, 2020, and testing positive on March 4. As of January 11, 2022, 1.63 million cases were confirmed in the state, incurring 26,795 deaths.
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the U.S. state of North Carolina on March 3, 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the U.S. state of Tennessee on March 5, 2020. As of June 5, 2022, there are 2,023,815 confirmed cases, 26,103 deaths, and 12,825,885 reported tests.
The global COVID-19 pandemic struck the U.S. state of Wisconsin in early February 2020. Although Wisconsin has to date experienced 144 deaths per 100,000 residents, significantly fewer than the US national average of 196 deaths, COVID-19 was one of the three leading causes of death in Wisconsin in 2020. On August 25, 2021, Wisconsin public health authorities reported 7 day averages of 1,417 new cases and 236 probable cases per day, an increase of greater than 15 fold since late June 2021. This brings the cumulative total of COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin to 651,338. The state's death toll is 7,558, with 30 new deaths over the previous 7 days. As of August 25, 2021, 12.41% of Wisconsin's residents have been positively diagnosed with COVID-19, the 20th highest per-capita case rate among all US states. January 16's 128 COVID-19 deaths set a new single day record for Wisconsin.
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the U.S. state of Alabama in March 2020. As of January 10, 2022, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADHP) reported nearly a million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 16,630 confirmed deaths. At 330 deaths per 100,000 Alabama has the highest death rate in the US along with Mississippi.
The first case relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in Idaho was confirmed on March 13, 2020, when a Boise woman tested positive. As of February 15, 2023, there have been 517,540 confirmed cases and 5,389 deaths within Idaho, while 975,583 people have been fully vaccinated.
The COVID-19 pandemic in North Dakota is an ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The state reported its first case on March 11, 2020.
State, territorial, tribal, and local governments responded to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States with various declarations of emergency, closure of schools and public meeting places, lockdowns, and other restrictions intended to slow the progression of the virus.
The U.S. state of West Virginia reported its first confirmed case relating to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 17, 2020, becoming the last state to do so. The patient had shown symptoms for several days prior. On March 29, 2020, the state reported its first COVID-19 death.
The wearing of non-medical face masks in public to lessen the transmission of COVID-19 in the United States was first recommended by the CDC on April 3, 2020, as supplemental to hygiene and appropriate social distancing. Throughout the pandemic, various states, counties, and municipalities have issued health orders requiring the wearing of non-medical face coverings — such as cloth masks — in spaces and businesses accessible to the public, especially when physical distancing is not possible.
The government of California initially responded to the COVID-19 pandemic in the state with a statewide lockdown, the first of its kind during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. As the pandemic progressed in California and throughout the rest of the country, the California government, following recommendations issued by the U.S. government regarding state and local government responses, began imposing social distancing measures and workplace hazard controls.
The government of Texas's initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the state consisted of a decentralized system that was mostly reliant on local policies. As the pandemic progressed in Texas and throughout the rest of the country, the Texas government closed down several businesses and parks, and it eventually imposed a statewide stay-at-home order in late May. Then, between May and June 2020, the state government initiated a phased reopening, which was viewed as controversial. The reopening was phased back in June and July 2020 following a new surge of COVID-19 cases in the state. In March 2021, as COVID-19 vaccines began to be administered throughout the U.S., the Texas government reopened the state again.
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