Attala a hotspot: Local officials angered by state’s approach to reducing COVID-19 transmission here
Local authorities expressed significant frustration with Governor Tate Reeves’ Tuesday afternoon order placing additional social distancing measures on Attala and six other local counties identified as hotspots.
Reeves said Attala, Leake, Scott, Jasper, Neshoba, Newton and Lauderdale counties were identified in consultation with Dr. Thomas Dobbs and other state health officials as localized regions at a higher risk for transmission.
Reeves said the effort is part of the state "identify and isolate" strategy to implement surgical measures in key regions while continuing to flatten the curve.
“The disease is more active in your communities,” said Dobbs during the Tuesday press conference, noting that the identified counties are all generally clustered together with a lot of citizen travel among them. He also noted that most of them are home to long-term care facilities and home to (or near) meat processing plants.
“Your per capita rates are so much larger. The sheer number of cases compared to others … it’s a powerful indicator of more work needing to be done,” Dobbs said.
While state officials said they had consulted with local leadership in the affected counties, Attala County Emergency Manager Danny Townsend and Kosciusko Mayor Jimmy Cockroft told The Star-Herald they were caught completely off-guard by the action. Both said they had not been contacted and hadn’t been able to identify any other local officials who had been prior to the release of the new order. Neither had even received a copy of the order when contacted by the paper, which sent a copy to each of them. Typically, both said they have to go online to find copies of new orders issued by the state.
“I approve of what the governor has done overall, but I am extremely disappointed that we weren’t contacted before this,” said Cockroft. “He said the leaders of these counties won’t be surprised, but that sure isn’t so for here.”
Cockroft said the order was especially perplexing given little change in the county’s numbers since the governor allowed for more small businesses statewide to open up Monday, only to place new restrictions on them the next day.
“I think it is undeserved here and it should be reconsidered,” he said. “Now we’re under this until May 25, when we have explanations for why our numbers are like this.”
Both Cockroft and Townsend said that — while they believe local nursing homes are doing the best they can to prevent outbreaks and care for COVID-19 patients — cases in the two local long-term care facilities with outbreaks account for a disproportionate share of Attala’s per capita infection rate. That is the key factor state officials said they used to identify counties needing additional restrictions to help stem the tide of infection.
“As far as our totals go — and it’s no reflection on the nursing homes — about 80 of our 200 or so cases are related to the nursing homes,” Townsend said.
Restricting residents and businesses, they said, will have no positive impact on addressing the unique situation faced by the long-term care facilities in preventing spread of the disease.
Neither the emergency manager nor the mayor understand why Attala was singled out when there are other counties where similar numbers have been registered. Both noted that Monroe County, though slightly larger, has a similar infection rate and a much higher death rate, but was not included in the newly-restricted counties. Monroe has registered 21 deaths versus Attala’s five deaths.
“I can go along with recommendations, but these businesses are hurting. This is about people’s livelihood. This puts burdens on our businesses which mostly are not contributing to this,” said Townsend. “The way I see this is we should leave it up to the individual. These are private properties and businesses should decide for themselves.”
Cockroft bristled at the suggestion that places like Kosciusko and Attala County would welcome the state issuing restrictions like these, freeing local officials from taking the blame for doing so themselves.
“We aren’t one of them. I don’t like to get fussed at over something we didn’t do,” said Cockroft. “Let the city tend to the city’s business.”
The new order
- Under order #1483, all local businesses must:
- take every step necessary to implement the regulations, orders, and guidance from the Mississippi State Department of Health and CDC to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including social distancing and encouraging sick employees to stay home.
- screen employees daily at the beginning of their shifts, including asking whether they have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 14 days and have they had a fever in the last 48 hours.
- require employees who cannot, based on their duties and responsibilities, maintain at least six feet distance from others must wear a face covering throughout their shift, such as a face mask. Face coverings must be cleaned or replaced daily.
- must provide hand sanitizer to all employees, which can include a hand rub or soap
In addition to those measures, retail businesses must also:
- provide face coverings to all employees who come in direct contact with customers. Employees are required to wear that face covering throughout their shift and clean or replace daily.
- require all customers to wear a face covering while inside the retail business.
- Place hand sanitizer at all entrances, in or near bathrooms, and at cashier stations.
- make all efforts to maintain a six-foot distance between customers at all times.
- sanitize carts, baskets, and other similar surfaces touched by customers after each use. Other high-touch areas must be sanitized at least once every two hours.
People out in public must:
- wear face coverings when attending outdoor public events, such as live auctions or flea markets.
- must maintain a six-foot distance between themselves and others
