Updated Public Health Order establishes isolation criteria to be followed if exposed to COVID-19.
As of today, Friday, August 20, 2021, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, State Health Officer of the Mississippi State Department of Health, issued a statewide Order for the Isolation of Individuals Diagnosed with COVID-19.
This comes after the MSDH reported today 5,048 more cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi, 54 deaths, and 172 ongoing outbreaks in long-term care facilities today.
Today MSDH is reporting 5,048 more cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi, 54 deaths, and 172 ongoing outbreaks in long-term care facilities. State #covid19 totals: 406,249 cases, 7,991 deaths, and 1,099,899 persons fully vaccinated. Full information: https://t.co/YCv9xPyJDk pic.twitter.com/MW2mW6RZMV
— Mississippi State Department of Health (@msdh) August 20, 2021
The order states that all Mississippians must immediately home-isolate on first knowledge of infection with COVID-19.
It goes on to declare that everyone, including fully vaccinated individuals, infected with COVID-19 must remain in the home or other appropriate residential location for 10 days from onset of illness (or 10 days from the date of a positive test for those who are asymptomatic).
The order says that Mississippi K-12 schools are to be required to exclude all students and faculty diagnosed with COVID-19 from the school setting during the isolation period as well.
A negative test for COVID-19 is not required to end isolation at the end of 10 days, but you have to be fever free for at least 24 hours with improvement of other symptoms.
If people fail to obey this order issued by Dr. Thomas Dobbs, you could be fined a minimum of $500 or a six-month imprisonment and would be considered a misdemeanor. If a life- threatening disease is involved, refusal to obey the order is considered a felony, punishable by a fine of up to $5,000.00 or imprisonment for up to five years or both.
You can read the full COVID-19 isolation issue below:
