OurTupelo

People gasping for breath in hospital hallways. A 34-week pregnant woman losing her baby because she got the virus. Dozens of patients waiting in an emergency room for an intensive care unit bed to open up. A nurse working eight shifts in a row.

These were among the stories top hospital leaders across the Mississippi Gulf Coast — one of the state’s biggest COVID-19 hotspots — told the region’s business leaders on a Thursday morning conference call. The Gulf Coast hospitals, like facilities across the state, are overwhelmed with patients infected with the delta variant.

“Just a couple nights ago, I walked out of the ER and saw ambulances here that weren’t able to take out patients yet, people on stretchers in the hallways… People were gasping for air,” Lee Bond, the CEO of the Singing River Health System, said on the call. “It’s a matter of time before somewhere in our great state someone goes to the ER and is not able to get treated because we don’t have the arms and legs to do it.”

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 4,412 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the highest single-day caseload the state has seen throughout the pandemic. This shattered the previous record of 3,488 cases set just two days ago. Physicians say these high daily case numbers will translate to more record hospitalizations in coming weeks.

The situation in Mississippi hospitals is more dire than it’s ever been. Top medical professionals began sounding the alarm this week that the Mississippi hospital system could fail in 5-10 days if the current trajectory of new COVID-19 cases continues.

As of Wednesday, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, patients in an ICU and patients on ventilators were at pandemic peaks.

READ MORE: Mississippi’s hospital system could fail within 5-10 days. Gov. Tate Reeves says to ‘remain calm.’

The Gulf Coast Business Council hosted State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs and the hospital executives for the virtual meeting on Thursday to answer questions and spell out to local businesses the seriousness of the delta wave.

Dobbs said the state reported 36 deaths on Monday due to COVID-19 or complications from the virus. Eleven of those deaths were of people under 50, he said. Three of them were in their 20s. Two were pregnant women. All were unvaccinated.

“Had those people been vaccinated, they would not be dead,” he said. “Not only would they not be dead, but they would have not had to go to hospital.” 

About 1.3 million Mississippians are fully vaccinated, which is about 35% of the state. Just a little over 1 million have had at least one vaccine. Mississippi ranks 48th in the nation for vaccine rates. It will take another 1 million Mississippians to get vaccinated before the state reaches any sort of herd immunity, Dobbs said.

Vaccination rates in the Gulf Coast counties, one of the most populated regions of Mississippi, continues to lag behind the state average. Only a little over 33% of the three Gulf Coast counties have been fully vaccinated so far, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health experts continue to stress that being fully vaccinated is the only adequate protection against the virus. 

“The delta wave is uncontrolled right now,” Dobbs said. “It’s really sweeping over us like a hurricane. It’s phenomenally bad.”

Bond said that in his hospital system, a woman who was 34-weeks pregnant and lost her baby while in the hospital with the virus. There is a 27-year-old patient with the virus who just gave birth but has only Facetimed with her baby.

“She made it to the floor, out of the ICU, but yesterday we had to put her back on the vent,” Bond said. “I don’t know if she will ever get to see her baby or not.”

As the top medical professionals warned on Wednesday that the state’s hospital system was days from failure, Gov. Tate Reeves said Mississippians should “remain calm.” During a press event Thursday in the Gulf Coast, he said people should get the shot so they can move on with their lives.

READ MORE: Gov. Tate Reeves extends COVID-19 state of emergency as hospitals on the verge of collapse

But Reeves’ Thursday plea for vaccinations will not help the state’s hospitals in the short-term. Based on the number of new cases reported Thursday, Dobbs estimated about 300 will need care in hospitals in coming days, and about 93 people will die, he said, based on historical data.

Bond said he had 130 patients with COVID-19 at Singing River as of Thursday. Gulfport Memorial Hospital CEO Kent Nicaud said he had “negative 23” ICU beds available on Thursday — meaning 23 patients were in the ER waiting for space in the ICU to open. The hospital had 95 patients with COVID-19, he said. In Hancock County, it was much the same. 

“We had a nurse in Slidell work eight shifts in row,” said Hancock’s hospital system CEO Wilson Thomas. “We are stretched thin and we cannot really stretch anymore.”

The delta wave still hasn’t reached its peak in hospitalizations. Dobbs expects that to happen in the next three to four weeks. 

All of it, he said, could have been avoided if more of the state was vaccinated. Dobbs and the hospital executives told the business owners on the call to encourage employees to get the vaccine.

Mississippi Today reporter Will Stribling contributed to this report.

The post ‘We cannot stretch anymore’: Hospital leaders on Mississippi Gulf Coast, a delta variant hotspot, share horror stories appeared first on Mississippi Today.

UMMC is setting up a field hospital in Parking Garage B. Let me repeat that — in a parking garage. Over 4,000 new cases a day with a death rate of 2.2% equals misery, pain and the potential collapse of the Mississippi hospital system. While Katrina was a horrific disaster that happened in our faces, the current delta tsunami is happening behind closed doors and in ICUs out of sight. It’s crushing, painful and sadly, avoidable.

The post Marshall Ramsey: Disasters appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Gov. Tate Reeves announced Thursday that he will reverse course and not carry out plans to terminate the state of emergency he declared on March 14, 2020, to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reeves had previously said in June that he would let the emergency order expire on Aug. 15. Back in June, the number of coronavirus cases significantly decreased. Today, the spread of COVID-19 in Mississippi is out of control, and medical professionals are warning the state’s hospital system could fail in a matter of days.

In a Thursday morning interview with Gulf Coast television station WLOX, the first-term Republican governor said the state of emergency will stay in place.

“It is a very different situation than two months ago,” Reeves said of when he had announced plans to terminate the state of emergency.

Reeves cited several reasons to extend the order. He mentioned the need to leave in place the COVID-19 System of Care Plan created in part through the emergency order that allows a coordinated effort by Mississippi health care leaders to direct patients to open hospital beds throughout the state. In addition, Reeves said the state of emergency makes it easier for Mississippi to work with other states and entities to garner needed resources to fight the coronavirus, including additional nurses.

READ MORE: Leaders fear what could happen if Reeves ends state of emergency on Sunday as planned

Reeves said the biggest issue facing the state continues to be the need for more health care professionals.

“Our biggest challenge in the health care system is not beds, but staffing,” he said.

The emergency order also allows local school boards to provide paid leave to teachers and other staff for issues related to the pandemic. State agencies are given the same authority through the state of emergency order.

When the governor was asked by WLOX about his recent social medial post complaining about the “angry rhetoric” from many who were questioning his leadership of the crisis, he said, “I really don’t think it alienates people.”

READ MORE: Mississippi lives are at risk. Our governor is hiding, avoiding the tough politics.

He added, “In times of an emergency, we have to remain calm… and make sure our leaders are making good quality decisions.”

Reeves has refused to impose a statewide mask mandate for public schools even as the number of cases among students has surged. He said he believes local school boards are in the best position to make those decisions.

Reeves said the coronavirus was turning “into a pandemic of the unvaccinated” and expressed optimism that the number of Mississippians getting the shot is on the uptick. Throughout the process Mississippi has been among the lowest vaccinated states in the nation and Reeves has been criticized for not taking a strong enough stand on the importance of the vaccination.

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 4,412 new cases Thursday — by far the highest number of cases for a single day.

READ MORE: Other governors use bully pulpits, incentives to urge vaccination. Where’s Gov. Reeves?

The post Gov. Tate Reeves extends COVID-19 state of emergency as hospitals on the verge of collapse appeared first on Mississippi Today.

The Mississippi Association of Educators and the Mississippi chapter of the American Academy of Pediatricians are asking Gov. Tate Reeves to issue a mask mandate in schools.

The plea comes amid record-high COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations this week, in addition to an announcement from the University of Mississippi Medical Center that it is constructing a field hospital in a parking garage to increase capacity.

“We are in the midst of a statewide crisis, and while we would typically defer to local officials knowing their communities’ specific needs better than anyone – we can all agree this situation is markedly different,” the statement read.

“It’s never too late to do the right thing.”

But as Reeves announced he would extend the state of emergency for another 30 days, he also doubled down against any mask requirements: “There will be no lockdowns and there will be no statewide mandates.”

Hospital leaders emphasized Wednesday if the current trajectory of new cases and hospitalizations continues, “we’re going to see failure of the hospital system in Mississippi,” said Dr. Alan Jones, UMMC associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs.

There were 26 children hospitalized with COVID-19 at the hospital on Wednesday. The number dropped to 19 as of Thursday morning. Since the school year began, 1,338 students, staff and teachers have tested positive for the virus and 4,817 are in quarantine, according to the state Department of Health.

The teacher and pediatrician groups cited the stress on the hospital system and keeping children in school as evidence of the need for a mask mandate.

“Educators are happy and relieved to be back in our classrooms, but we are wary of being driven from them again. Without meaningful statewide guidance, school districts have been left to fend for themselves,” the statement reads. “District leaders are scrambling to implement measures to stop the spread of COVID while trying to placate irate parents on both sides of the masking issue with no support.”

READ MORE: Which school districts are requiring masks?

The groups cite Lamar County School District where, as of Monday, nine of 19 schools have been forced to move to virtual learning and the entire district has transitioned to hybrid instruction because of COVID-19 cases.

On Wednesday, elementary schools in George and Greene County School Districts were forced to transition to virtual learning until Aug. 20 due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases. Stone High School in Stone County also transitioned to virtual learning for a two-week period, the Sun Herald reported.

South Hancock Elementary School closed the day before.

In the metro area, two school districts quickly pivoted after just several days of school to requiring mask-wearing. Rankin County School District reported 191 students with COVID-19 on Tuesday, the third day of school. Thirty-nine staff members were positive as of the same day, and nearly 500 students and staff were quarantined.

“Educators, medical professionals, parents, state leaders – we all want kids in classrooms. But if our priority is to safely keep our students in schools, we need to do what we can to mitigate the spread of COVID. It’s that simple.”

The post Teachers, pediatricians urge Gov. Reeves for masks in schools: ‘It’s never too late to do the right thing’ appeared first on Mississippi Today.

On July 15, four professors from Mississippi State University sent a petition asking for a vaccine mandate, signed by hundreds of faculty, staff and students, to the State Institutions of Higher Learning, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs, and Gov. Tate Reeves. 

A month later, it has been “a shocking silence,” said Andrea Spain, one of the four co-authors of the letter. “Not even an acknowledgement of receipt of the letter.” 

As the fall semester approaches, many faculty, staff and students at Mississippi’s public colleges and universities say this silence is emblematic of how state leadership at all levels has responded to the pandemic: Prioritizing politics and the economy over public health. 

Reeves, for his part, has said he has no intention of issuing a mask mandate in schools on the K-12 level. And though the Centers for Disease Control says that vaccinations are the “leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic,” he has stopped short of explicitly encouraging Mississippians to get vaccinated. On Monday, Reeves tweeted, “It was recently said nationally that the delta variant was becoming a ‘pandemic of the unvaccinated.’ The most recent data from Mississippi suggest the same. Talk to your doctor. Assess the risk. Do the right thing for you. Do the right thing for your family.” 

“The doctors have been talking all along: Dr. Dobbs has been talking, Dr. Fauci has been talking. They’re the experts and the scientists,” Alesha Russey, an instructor at University of Southern Mississippi’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, told Mississippi Today. “Leaders don’t say, ‘Do the right thing for you.’ That’s a selfish approach. Leaders would say, ‘Let’s do this for us.’” 

And the Institutions of Higher Learning, which oversees Mississippi’s eight public universities, has not released any public statements on how Mississippi’s universities should handle starting the fall semester amid the surging delta variant. The trustees haven’t met since June because, as it does most years, the board did not call a meeting in July. 

The sole piece of guidance Mississippi’s public colleges and universities have received came last week from the Mississippi Department of Health, which released a memo encouraging all colleges and universities to require masks, regardless of vaccination status, in all indoor facilities. It also encouraged universities to urge students to get vaccinated. 

Even though hundreds of universities across the country are requiring students to get the COVID-19 vaccine, with no state leadership pushing to do the same, Mississippi’s public colleges and universities are only asking students and faculty to wear masks in indoor facilities. 

This puts students and faculty in the position of having to advocate for stronger safety measures. 

“The only way to be truly safe is to do a vaccine mandate,” said Clark Hensley, a junior computer science major and chair of MSU’s chapter of Young Democratic Socialists of America. “Not doing so leaves an opening for a potentially life threatening outbreak.” 

Last fall, all eight universities implemented comprehensive plans to keep faculty, staff and students safe: Courses were moved online, in-person class sizes were reduced, and the fall semester was shortened to prevent the spread of coronavirus during Thanksgiving break. Those measures were taken in part because the IHL convened a task force to create recommendations for the universities. 

“Honestly we did better than I thought we would last year,” said Joshua Sharp, an associate professor of pharmacology at University of Mississippi. “We actually were pretty responsive when it came to on-campus testing and quarantine policy seemed to do a pretty good job — not a great job, not a perfect job, but a pretty good job of managing outbreaks.” 

Many of those measures won’t be taken this semester, despite all-time high case numbers and a delta variant that is more prominent in college-aged people. 

With no uniform recommended plan, Mississippi’s public colleges and universities are responding to the rise in cases in a motley of ways. Some schools have adopted campus-wide mask mandates but are not requiring students to socially distance in classrooms or other campus facilities. At East Mississippi Community College, for example, “all meeting rooms, classrooms, open facilities, on-campus events, and auditoriums can resume 100% capacity,” according to a recent memo, though self-serve options will not be available in dining halls and “enhanced cleaning” of facilities is required. 

Other schools are trying to encourage students to get vaccinated by offering perks in lieu of a mandate. In Ellisville, students at Jones College who sign up to get vaccinated on campus will be entered into a raffle to win free or discounted tuition for one semester. 

USM has also announced a raffle program to incentivize students to get vaccinated in late July. Through the weekly drawings, students can win prizes ranging from a Barnes & Noble gift voucher or a parking decal to free fall tuition. 

“The best way for our students to stay healthy, stay connected, and stay in class this fall is by getting a COVID-19 vaccine,” said Dr. Dee Dee Anderson, USM’s vice president for student affairs. “I urge all of our students to do their part and get vaccinated for COVID-19 now, if they haven’t already done so.” 

But many faculty and staff at USM wish the administration would enact more safety protocols. 

Over the last couple weeks, representatives from USM’s faculty senate, staff councils and chapters of the American Association of University Professors met with President Rodney Bennett and other administration officials to advocate for more expansive safety protocols, such as mandating masks in all indoor facilities, requiring the COVID-19 vaccine once it receives full FDA approval and allowing faculty to change the delivery method of their courses as they deem fit. 

Yet when USM released its updated protocols on Aug. 4, it included just one of the coalition’s recommendations — wearing face masks. 

“We appreciate and are very much in support of the administration’s significant efforts to incentivize student vaccination, as well as the University’s efforts to combat misinformation surrounding COVID-19 and vaccinations,” Brian LaPierre, the president of USM’s faculty senate, wrote in an email to members. “We were disappointed, however, that the only Faculty Senate recommendation that was reflected in the revised protocols was the requirement of face coverings.” 

Following another virtual meeting, Bennett last Thursday agreed to let faculty aged 65 and older teach online “for a few weeks,” Denis Weisenberg, president-elect of USM’s faculty senate, told Mississippi Today.  

At University of Mississippi, Sharp, the professor of pharmacology, said faculty has received few campus-wide communications about what the administration is doing to keep staff and faculty safe. He received a notice that the school would be temporarily requiring masks as well as one from Dean Noel Wilkins, informing faculty they could only switch their courses to online with special permission from their department chair. 

Meanwhile, COVID cases continue to rise, and school starts in 11 days. 

“As we come back, we were all hoping that this was behind us,” Sharp said, “but the recent surge in cases has made it clear it’s not.” 

“There is still time to turn it around,” he added, “and I know that there are various faculty and administrators working and talking about what kind of response we can have — but ultimately the power lies in the hands of the administrators and the policies they decide to implement.” 

The post ‘The only way to be truly safe’: Students, faculty urge colleges to require the COVID shot as officials look to incentives appeared first on Mississippi Today.

After a 2020 Mississippi football season of mostly empty stadiums, schedule changes, postponements, cancellations and more, it looked as if we might have a more normal 2021. The delta variant has changed that, and we may be in for a wild ride.

Stream all episodes here.

The post Podcast: COVID delta variant threatens football appeared first on Mississippi Today.

As Mississippi’s top medical professionals worked to sound the alarm on Wednesday about an imminent failure of the state’s hospital system due to the surging COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Tate Reeves downplayed the severity of the situation and urged Mississippians to “remain calm.”

The contrast in approaches on Wednesday is illustrative of the gulf between the crisis at hand and the government’s lack of response to it. And at the worst moment so far of the pandemic, all Mississippians — COVID-stricken or otherwise — may soon not have adequate hospital care at their disposal.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center is so overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients during the state’s worst wave of cases that it is constructing a field hospital in a parking garage to increase capacity.

The state’s largest medical center, completely out of staffed intensive care unit beds, is just one of the many medical facilities across the state on the verge of collapse as the delta variant causes a level of need the state’s healthcare workers cannot meet.

“If we track back a week or so when we look at the case positivity rate, the rate of new cases, the rate of hospitalizations — if we continue that trajectory within the next five to seven to 10 days, I think we’re going to see failure of the hospital system in Mississippi,” Dr. Alan Jones, UMMC associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs, said during a press conference on Wednesday.

Dr. LouAnn Woodward, UMMC’s vice chancellor, called the field hospital “a Band-Aid,” noting it as a helpful but limited addition to the hospital’s toolkit. It will be able to host a maximum of 50 COVID-19 patients, and UMMC expects the federal government to send between 30-35 medical professionals to staff it. 

The current COVID-19 crisis is, for the most part, not one for lack of hospital beds and ventilators, but of staff. Mississippi has around 2,000 fewer nurses working than it did a year ago, and every hospital in the state is feeling that strain. Lee McCall, CEO of Neshoba County General Hospital, tweeted a desperate plea for help to Gov. Reeves on Tuesday, saying the hospital’s staff “are all at our breaking point.”

Meanwhile, Reeves took to social media on Wednesday to break his lengthy silence on the pandemic, providing an update on actions being taken across the state to address the COVID crisis. This includes the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency requesting that other states help supply Mississippi with healthcare workers, and pursuing contracts with private companies for travel nurses.

“My number one goal from day one of this pandemic has always been to protect the integrity of our health care system,” Reeves said in a social media post. 

In his post, Reeves also attempted to downplay the severity of the crisis — laid out bluntly by the state’s top medical professionals on Wednesday — by claiming that the situation in Mississippi hospitals is no worse than it was a year ago.

Reeves claimed that Mississippi’s total number of hospitalizations “remain below where they were at our peak from August of 2020.” This is false. In August 2020, COVID-related hospitalizations peaked at 978. As of Tuesday, that number was 1,378.

Reeves also claimed that Mississippi’s total number of patients in ICU beds remains “at or near our peak levels from August of 2020.” This is also false. In August, the number of COVID patients in ICU beds peaked at 337. As of Tuesday, that number was 388.

When asked about these discrepancies during a press conference Wednesday afternoon, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs confirmed that daily hospitalizations are higher than ever and “undeniably going to be increasing.” 

Reeves also addressed the shortage of healthcare workers in his post, attributing it to layoffs by hospitals and disgruntled employees resigning over vaccine mandates. While a small number of healthcare workers may have resigned due to vaccine mandates, it is dwarfed by the number who have left due to burnout or to pursue higher paying jobs in other states. 

It is also worth noting that while several hospitals have announced vaccine mandates for their employees, none are currently implemented. Woodward said on Wednesday that UMMC has not seen a loss of staff due to its vaccine mandate, the first of its kind in the state, which will not go into effect until the vaccine receives full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

“That doesn’t mean we won’t (lose staff). I hope that we don’t,” Woodward said. “At this point in time, that’s not a factor.” 

Health experts continue to stress that being fully vaccinated is the only adequate protection against COVID-19. Though Mississippi’s vaccination rate has increased significantly in recent weeks, it still lags behind 48 other states. 

Dobbs expressed his frustration with those declining the protection offered by COVID vaccines on Wednesday, noting that they are driving the surge in cases, hospitalizations and deaths that has brought the state’s healthcare system to its knees. 

“I kind of personally feel like I’m an air traffic controller, and every day I’m watching two airliners collide,” Dobbs said.

The post Mississippi’s hospital system could fail within 5-10 days. Gov. Tate Reeves says to ‘remain calm.’ appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Gulf Coast business and casino leaders are doing what Mississippi government leaders have not: They are working to create a vaccine lottery-like program.

Several prominent Gulf Coast businesspeople are pooling resources in efforts to create a program that would offer vaccinated Mississippians a chance to win cash or other prizes. Mississippi, which ranks 48th for its vaccination rate in the nation, would join dozens of other states in having similar programs.

“We believe time is of the essence,” said Ashley Edwards, the president of the Gulf Coast Business Council. “So we’re quickly trying to do work that should take months and do it in weeks, days.”

Organizers say they are confident they will be able to offer prizes — likely cash — eligible only to vaccinated Mississippians. The program funds are being collected through the nonprofit Gulf Coast Community Foundation. Leaders from Hancock, Harrison and Jackson have been involved so far.

Governors across the nation have created similar incentive programs in efforts to raise vaccination rates. Gov. Asa Hutchinson offered Arkansans a free lottery ticket or $20 voucher from the state Game and Fish Commission to get the shot.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson launched a cash lottery program for vaccinations this week. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan sponsored one earlier this year. New Jersey awarded a dinner at the governor’s mansion as a vaccine raffle prize. West Virginia awarded cash prizes as well as lifetime fishing and hunting licenses. At least a dozen states, including Louisiana, have offered seven-figure prizes.

Meanwhile, Reeves has received criticism for being too hands-off in recent weeks as health care experts plead with residents to get vaccinated.

READ MORE: Hospitals pushed to brink as delta variant hits Mississippi ‘like a tsunami’

LuAnn Pappas, the CEO of the Scarlet Pearl casino resort, is no stranger to taking COVID-19 awareness and incentives into her own hands. As of Wednesday, about 700 of 800 employees at her D’Iberville casino were vaccinated. Pappas offers cash bonuses up to $300 and has on-site vaccine clinics.

Still, she was surprised it was local leaders — not a state-led effort — who reached out to her for help. Pappas said she donated $50,000 to the vaccine lottery program.

“The state did lead in rolling out the vaccination,” Pappas said. “But then we just kind of stalled and we stopped.”

As of Wednesday, Mississippi’s overall vaccination rate was about 35%. But the vaccine rate for south Mississippi — the state’s tourism hub, churning out millions in economic impact every month from both gaming revenue and sales tax — has consistently been below the state average. Only a little over 33% of the three Gulf Coast counties have been fully vaccinated so far, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“When I saw the rates, I thought no, no,” said Paige Roberts, the president of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. “The Coast leads in so many efforts in Mississippi. We can’t have this… If we can move the needle in the three coastal counties, we are then helping the state move the needle.”

When Pappas first required vaccinations of her salaried staff, she made more than 50 phone calls to employees who were against the vaccine. Out of all her supervisors, vice presidents and other professional staff members, only two have not been vaccinated yet. 

Soon, she will require hourly staff to be vaccinated, as well. She said she has seen in her own employees what creativity and persistence, as well as compassion and patience, can accomplish when tackling vaccine rates.

The Gulf Coast program wouldn’t be the first time private companies offered vaccine incentives to the public during the pandemic. But private companies — such as Kroger or United Airlines — have opened their sweepstakes or freebies to all their customers, reaching across several states if not the whole country. 

The south Mississippi effort is hyper-local and seeking partnerships with state agencies, including the Mississippi State Department of Health. It’s unique compared to similar incentive programs in that it will likely be a partnership between private and public entities. 

Edwards hopes other regions, or even the state, could use whatever the group comes up with as a model.

While the Gulf Coast program organizers’ chief concerns are the health of their community — the health of the local economy is at stake, too.

The Gulf Coast was a bright spot in the state’s pandemic recovery. Over the last several months, Mississippi casinos have continued to break gaming revenue records. Casinos had hit their stride in offering something to do during the pandemic in an environment that made customers feel safe, according to local operators. 

Pappas said she cannot think of a single casino that wouldn’t want to participate in the program once it’s formalized. 

“We are trying to sustain the economic momentum we were experiencing prior to the Delta variant outbreak,” Edwards said. “We’re taking measures today to try to ensure that we don’t find ourselves in this situation again.” 

Pappas said she is tired of seeing Mississippi at the “bottom of the pack” in vaccine rates. She’s scared for the children under 12 who cannot be vaccinated and for the stressed and overworked hospital staff caring for an influx of unvaccinated patients.

“The ripple effect is devastating,” she said.

She hopes the lottery gets everyone’s attention — especially those with the means and influence, like herself, to do something to encourage vaccine use.

The post Gulf Coast business leaders, not the state, working to create vaccine lottery program appeared first on Mississippi Today.

We have spiking numbers of cases because of the highly contagious delta variant. ICUs are full. The hospital system is being stressed to the ninth degree. I’m not sure why the Governor said he’d reveal if he’d extend the state of emergency or not in 48 hours, but he did. Maybe it was to build tension like they do on TV? I have no idea. But to deny this is an emergency would be political malpractice.

The post Marshall Ramsey: The Plug appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Disability Rights Mississippi filed a class action lawsuit Monday against the Mississippi Department of Corrections, Commissioner Burl Cain and the department’s contracted medical provider VitalCore Health Strategies, alleging “inhumane and discriminatory conditions and practices in correctional facilities.”

The lawsuit stated MDOC and VitalCore do not provide adequate medical and mental health care to people in prison, and they fail to provide people with disabilities in prison with proper accommodations and services “to which they are entitled under the Americans with Disabilities Act.”

Disability Rights Mississippi is a federally mandated nonprofit corporation that advocates for people with disabilities. The organization’s lawsuit detailed the experiences of 31 men and women with disabilities in prisons across Mississippi, including Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl, Wilkinson County Correctional Facility in Woodville, Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Leakesville, George County Correctional Facility in Lucedale and the private prison East Mississippi Correctional Facility in Meridian.

“After years of monitoring visits, meetings with clients, and an intense year-long investigation, we can say with absolute certainty. People with disabilities who are incarcerated in Mississippi are suffering under the hand of the Mississippi Department of Corrections,” DRMS executive director Polly Tribble said in a statement.

One man in prison at CMCF in Pearl was held in solitary confinement 30 days after he made repeated requests for medical care and medication for a spinal injury which limits his mobility, requiring him to use a wheelchair, the lawsuit stated. While in solitary confinement, he was denied a shower for nearly three days, according to the lawsuit.

Another woman in CMCF who gave birth while in prison suffered a uterine prolapse, which now requires additional medical equipment, medical treatment and additional undergarments, all of which MDOC and VitalCore have refused to provide, the lawsuit alleged.

The lawsuit stated people in prison have been denied medical care, treatment and adequate assistance for issues related to bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, asthma, blindness, congestive heart failure, diabetes, prostate cancer, multiple sclerosis and many other chronic illnesses and disabilities.

“(MDOC and VitalCore) have failed to provide adequate care in approving medications, equipment, and treatment for those who are in their custody. Their practice of ignoring and/or refusing ‘sick calls’ and delaying outside appointments and follow-up examinations have resulted in worsening health conditions, further injury/sickness, and even deaths of MDOC inmates. The State of Mississippi pays hundreds of thousands of dollars to VitalCore for the provision of medical care to MDOC facilities. But, the result is questionable, at best,” the lawsuit stated.

The lawsuit also stated MDOC and VitalCore have “systematically discriminated” against people with disabilities in prison by not providing accessible facilities, safe environments, adequate services and programming for incarcerated people with disabilities. MDOC staff have often retaliated against and intimidated people with disabilities in prison, the lawsuit alleged.

“Offender(s)…who require the use of wheelchairs often are forced to pay other able-bodied offenders to assist them in navigating the bathroom/shower area,” the lawsuit stated.

The lawsuit requests that the court order MDOC and VitalCore to provide relief by increasing adequate correctional, medical, dental and mental health staffing, regularly screening for and responding to medical and mental health issues and offering appropriate accommodations for people with disabilities in prison.

“As Mississippi’s protection and advocacy agency for individuals with disabilities, DRMS is responsible for protecting the rights of all Mississippians with disabilities. And when we say all, we mean it,” Tribble said in the statement.

MDOC Assistant Deputy Commissioner Leo Honeycutt said the department cannot comment on pending litigation.

The post Disability rights group sues MDOC for ‘inhumane and discriminatory’ prison conditions appeared first on Mississippi Today.