So far, we have dodged a bullet. According to the latest coronavirus statistics released by the Mississippi Department of Public Health on Monday, Newton County is just one of 27 counties not reporting a death from the pandemic.
We do have 32 cases, a number that has dramatically risen over the last week. I expect that number to continue to rise due to the fact that more and more tests are being done on local residents.
I don’t know if that means that our residents are more susceptible to the virus now, or perhaps we have a better understanding of how prevalent it is among our local residents.
It’s probably a mixture of both. While I don’t want to see our number of incidences rise in the county, I do think it’s important to have testing. When you are in a pandemic with a virus that is as dangerous as this one is, you need know who has it and where it is so you can contain it better.
Reading about pandemics in the past when there was no vaccine readily available, the only way to treat it was to test as many people as you can. Then when you find the virus, you contain it and quarantine them until the virus subsides.
I wish that we had greater access to testing available here in Mississippi and across the nation. It’s not the fault of anyone, whether it’s the president, a political party or a government or international agency. It’s just that we are having to muddle through this like the rest of the world.
I wish our economy would open back up. All of our local businesses have been hurting. Even our grocery stores that have had huge revenue weeks are having to deal with rising prices and not being able to provide for the needs of our community due to disruptions in the supply chains.
However, I also understand that we have to play it safe. That’s why Gov. Tate Reeves extended our shelter-in-place order, but I’m glad that our non-essential businesses have some flexibility to continue to serve customers and offering flexibility for people needing individual recreation while practicing social distancing.
We won’t be able to pull through this until we know exactly where we stand. If we knew for sure the curve was flattening and beginning to decrease, we could open up more, but until then, we have to maintain our distance.
But I do ask, please shop local now more than ever. Call them up. It’s one way we can help our neighbors.
Brent Maze is the publisher of the Appeal. Contact Brent at bmaze@newtoncountyappeal.com.
