DESOTO COUNTY, Miss. — DeSoto County is under fire by the governor and the state’s top health officer for not doing more.
Speaking from the Governors’ Mansion, where he is in self-isolation, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves painted a gloomy picture of the state’s battle with COVID-19
“What’s in the best interest of you and your family and all Mississippians, if you go out on public, wear a mask. Please wear a mask,” Reeves said. “The numbers are up, week over week. The virus is not getting significantly better, in fact it’s getting marginally worse. We’re seeing a lot of cases that have come after Halloween.”
Reeves’ comments come as criticism erupted from reeves and Dr. Thomas Dobbs toward the growing number of COVID-19 cases in DeSoto County.
“DeSoto is on fire,” Dobbs said. “It’s red hot cases and if I lived in Desoto I wouldn’t go out. I’d stay in my house as much as possible.”
Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite blamed the rise on DeSoto’s proximity to Shelby County.
Desoto County is among 22 counties with additional restrictions in place including wearing a mask and smaller limits on gatherings.
People shopping in Southaven expressed to WREG-TV the mask mandate is confusing. One woman said she did not know, wearing a mask in businesses in the county was the mandate.
The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office told WREG-TV “they refuse,” to enforce the governor’s mandates.
Monday’s update from DeSoto County Schools shows 81 students tested positive for the virus in the past week.
The number almost doubled from last week.