After a record high in July, COVID-19 numbers for Mississippi showed a slight improvement at the time. Reeves refused to put in the mandate because President Donald Trump and other high-ranking Republicans continued to question the effectiveness mask-wearing. He stated that the governor was motivated to issue the statewide order in order to control the virus and allow public schools to reopen on schedule. Reeves stated that the focus on masks has been kept to the highest-spread counties up until now. “Now, we can achieve maximum impact and allow education to happen with a two week push,” Reeves said at a press briefing. Although I took a piecemeal approach, many people have criticized me about it. But, I have taken a piecemeal approach, because I firmly believe it was the best way for the most people to participate in wearing masks. Reeves allowed schools to reopen despite opposition from state health officials. Reeves, however, allowed the executive order to expire on September 30, making him the first American governor to repeal a state-wide mask order. Reeves has relied on issuing COVID-19 hotspots county-by-county mandates to mask. The difference in cases between the statewide mandate and schools is striking. Between the last week and the most recent weekly count, COVID-19 cases have almost tripled in schools. The seven-day average of new cases during the statewide mask mandate lasted almost two months. It fell to 413 on September 14. Since then, the average case has increased by 200% and 140% respectively since the end of the statewide mask mandate. Although the current surge isn’t at the peak seen in July, officials from the health department warned last week ahead of Thanksgiving about a pattern of cases rising after holidays. Some even called for Reeves’ reissue of the state-wide mask mandate. These mandates were in effect in 37 states and the District of Columbia as of last week. Reeves still relies on county-by-county orders for masks. At a Monday press conference, Dr. LouAnn Woodward (vice chancellor of University of Mississippi Medical Center) stated that “We believe we should have an statewide mandate for masks.” “… We believe we have sufficient evidence to believe that the county-by-county approach does not work.” In August, MIT published a study comparing the states with and without mask mandates. It suggested that a national mandate could have prevented 40% of worker deaths. Thomas Dobbs (State Health Officer) tweeted on Friday about the differences in cases between counties that have and those without mask mandates. He said the current spike will surpass the summer’s. Dobbs stated that there is a rise in hospitalizations at a rate we haven’t seen before. “We are seeing an increase in case burdens that is not yet seen.” It seems very likely that this fall surge will be much more severe than our summer surge.” Dobbs stated last week that the state’s test positivity rate has risen to 14%. This is nearly twice the level at which it was before the repeal of the statewide mandate to use masks.
Reeves placed 22 counties under mask mandates as of Monday. The governor stated that this policy is determined by a single formula: a county must have either more than 200 total cases, or more than 500 cases per 100,000 people over the two-week period. A spokesperson for his office explained that the second criteria would require a county to have more than 200 cases per 100,000 residents. This detail was repeatedly ignored by Reeves at press briefings. Mississippi has met all criteria for five consecutive days as of Nov. 24. Reeves spoke at his briefings on the importance of continually evaluating state policies, just as he did prior to the August mask mandate. On Aug. 4, he stated that “Throughout this pandemic, we’ve tried not to be too proud to alter course,” but that we have been humble. We know that times change with this virus every day. The data changes, the situation changes, and we’ve got to be prepared to change as well.” On July 24, when the new case average was roughly what it is today, Reeves told his constituents: “If at any point I believe that the best approach is to go to a statewide mask mandate, I’ll do it in a heartbeat if I believe that’s the best thing for Mississippi and Mississippians.”