Webster County Schools have temporarily imposed mask mandates as COVID cases countywide have risen 10% over the past week.
Webster County’s total positive COVID-19 cases stood at 1,418 as of Monday, up 129 from last week’s total of 1,289, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health. That is more than double the number of new cases the week before.
The county’s total death toll from the virus remained at 32 as of Monday’s COVID report.
As of Thursday, updated MSDH data showed the county had one long-term care facility outbreak, down from two the previous week. However, the number of LTCF cases among residents has increased by one to 62, which includes cases from both active and resolved outbreaks.
MSDH ranked Webster 10th among the state's 10 high-incidence counties for the two-week period ending Aug. 2, which was the most recent data available as of Monday. State and national leaders have attributed the rise in COVID-19 case numbers nationwide to the delta variant of the disease.
Mask Mandate
“Due to the rise in the number of students being quarantined, WCSD is mandating masks for all staff and students grade 2nd-12th in the classroom and bus setting,” the Webster County School District tweeted Thursday.
The mandate began Friday and will be reevaluated on Sept. 13, according to the Twitter post.
The tweet cites Centers for Disease Control recommendations that, in the K-12 indoor classroom setting, the close contact definition excludes students who were within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student if both the infected student and the exposed student(s) correctly and consistently wore well-fitting masks the entire time.
Superintendent Brian Jones said the School Board, during a special-called meeting Thursday, accepted his recommendation to require masks at least through Sept. 13 because the number of quarantined students was escalating.
“As of Friday, we had 44 students quarantined because of close contact,” he said Monday. “That’s the reason we went with a mask mandate.”
Additionally, Jones said 28 students had tested positive since the start of school on Aug. 5 through Friday.
“Our main goal for masks is to keep kids in school according to CDC guidelines,” he said.
Jones noted that many other school districts in the state have also reinstated mask mandates. He reiterated that the main reason for the mask mandate is to stop the quarantining of students who are healthy and otherwise wouldn’t have to quarantine. Students who are having to stay home are being given school work so they won’t get behind, he said.
The school district’s 2021-22 Safe Return to School Plan, which the board approved in June, recommended face masks but did not require them to attend this year’s traditional classroom instruction.
Vaccination Rate
As of Monday, 34% of Webster County’s population is fully vaccinated, according to MSDH, and 41% have received one of the 7,189 total doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered here.
“Vaccination is very effective at preventing COVID-19 illness, hospitalization and death,” the agency stated. “Vaccination benefits you even if you have already had COVID-19. Most COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are now among unvaccinated Mississippians.”
State Fire Marshal and Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney is encouraging all first responders, including firefighters and Emergency Medical Service personnel, to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“First responders are on the front line daily, protecting the public and need to be protected from the COVID-19 virus and not become super spreaders,” said Chaney. “There are more than 16,000 first responders in the state including firefighters and EMS. It is my sincere hope that all first responders answer this call to get vaccinated which in turn will help all of us fulfill our mission to protect lives and property in the state.”
Vaccinations are free to all Mississippians aged 12 and older, and are being administered locally at Eupora Family Medical Clinic and Walgreens. Homebound people can get help with COVID-19 vaccination by sending e-mail to COVIDHomebound@msdh.ms.gov.
