“This is Mississippi’s second day in a row over 1,500 new cases—far more than any other point in this pandemic. Our hospital system is stretched to the point of pain. I’ll take you through the data in today’s briefing. It paints a frightening picture. Even if you think you are invincible to COVID-19, we are all at risk of heart attacks, car crashes, and violence. We are at the point where open ICU beds are becoming more difficult to find for everyone…not in the near future—today. Please wear a mask and just try. Any effort makes a difference,” said Reeves.
Reeves said Hospitals are not at the point of pain, due to the strain of COVID-19 cases that need to be hospitalized. The state has gone from 490 hospitalizations across Mississippi to roughly 1,000. Reeves said on July 1 there were 602 confirmed patients, today there are 942, which is a 55% increase in July.
“I understand these numbers are not as big as what you see in Florida,” said Reeves. “The absolute number is not whats important, remember what our goal was it was to work together as a people so we ensure that every single Mississippian that could get quality care, got it.”
Reeves said it would be a bad time for anyone to get in a car accident, or require emergency medical services at this time because of how full COVID-19 has made ICU’s. He said in a call with hospitals earlier he encouraged them to surge ICU beds if possible and that they would be determining on a facility by facility basis as to whether or not elective procedures should be suspended.
“They’re going to do their part, I am confident. The question that remains to all of us out there is ‘are we going to do our part,'” asked Reeves.
Sarah Ulmer
