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Rankin County among 15 counties with mask mandate
Scott Simmons
Weekend Anchor/Reporter
Rankin County among 15 counties with mask mandate
16 WAPT'S SCOTT SIMMONS IS LIVE OUTSIDE THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION. SCOTT... YOUNGEST DAUGHTER MADDIE TESTING POSITIVE. THE GOVERNOR AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE TESTED NEGATIVE. THEY ARE ISOLATING TONIGHT AS MORE CASES OF COVID-19 RISE THROUGHOUT THE STATE. THE GOVERNOR OPTING T PLACE MORE COUNTIES UNDER A MANDATORY MASK MANDATE..RATHER THAN THE ENTIRE STATE RANKIN COUNTY ONE OF THOSE 15 ADDED TO THE LIST. < MACEY TULLOS/PELAHATCHIE: SOME PEOPLE JUST DON'T WANT TO DO WHAT IS REQUIRED. < MARTHA BURNHAM/BRANDON:.. IT HAS BEEN SPIKING HERE LATELY THERE ARE CASES EVERY WHERE ON EVERY CORNER IN THE SCHOOLS AND I THINK THE MASKS WOULD HELP. RANKIN COUNTY RESIDENTS REACTING TO A NEW MANDATORY MASK RULE...BECAUSE OF RISING CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS. NORTHWEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN RANKIN COUNTY, ONE OF THE LATEST EXAMPLES, FORCED TO SEND A SECOND GRADE CLASS TO LEARN FROM HOME...AFTER A POTENTIAL COVID 19 OUTBREAK. < KAREN SCHMIDT/RANKIN COUNTY ASST. SUPT.: WE FOUND OUT LATE LAST WEEK WE HAD 4 CASES IN ONE INDIVIDUAL CLASSROOM. SO WE MADE THE DECISION TO ER ON THE SIDE OF SAFETY FOR OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF TO SEND THOSE STUDENTS HOME AND THEY ARE LEARNING VIRTUALLY FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. PUCKETT HIGH SCHOOL SENT HOME LAST WEEK ...TO REMOTE LEARN. RANKIN COUNTY HAS MORE THAN 200 REPORTED NEW CASES OF CORONAVIRUS IN A TWO- WEEK PERIOD PROMPTING THE GOVERNOR TO ADD RANKIN AND 14 OTHER COUNTIES TO A NEW MASK MANDATE. THE BRANDON MAYOR SAYS THEY ARE ENCOURAGING BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS TO BUCKLE DOWN. < MAYOR BUTCH LEE/BRANDON: WE ARE UNDER A MASK DICTATE BY THE GOVERNOR AND WE SHOULD RESPECT THAT WE HAV HAD A SPIKE AND WE ARE GOING TO BE COGNIZANT OF THAT. AT HEART OF THE SOUTH, OPERATORS HAD ALREADY TIGHTENED UP IT'S PANDEMIC SAFETY RULES WHEN THE CASE NUMBERS STATEWIDE STARTED TO RISE. < STEPHANIE BALL/HEART OF THE SOUTH OWNER: EVEN WHEN THE MANDATE WAS LIFTED BEFORE WE STILL ENCOURAGED IT BUT ABOUT A WEEK AGO WE PUT A SIGN BACK ON THE DOOR SAYING MASKS ARE REQUIRED BECAUSE WE ARE WANTING TO KEEP A SAFE HAPPY HOLIDAY SHOPPING EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYBODY. BUT THERE ARE TROUBLING CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS ON THE HORIZON AS HEALTH CARE LEADERS WORRY THAT HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE GOING UP. THE LATEST NUMBERS AS OF NOVEMBER 10TH FROM THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT....669 ARE IN HOSPITALS BEING TREATED FOR COVID 19, 191 OF THOSE PATIENTS ARE BEING TREATED IN I-C- U BEDS. THE GOVERNOR'S NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER NOT ONLY INCLUDES MASK MANDATES BUT LIMITS ON SOCIAL GATHERINGS. THE NEW RULES DO NOT AFFECT FOOTBALL GAMES AND RESTAURANT CAPACITY. RESTAURANTS REMAIN AT
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Rankin County among 15 counties with mask mandate
Scott Simmons
Weekend Anchor/Reporter
Rankin County is one of 15 Mississippi counties under a mask mandate.Gov. Tate Reeves extended his Safe Return order Wednesday and announced the counties that will face additional restrictions.Northwest Elementary School in Rankin County was forced to send a second-grade class to learn from home after a potential COVID-19 outbreak.“We found out late last week we had four cases in one individual classroom, so we made the decision to err on the side of safety for our students and our staff to send those students home,” said Rankin County School District Assistant Superintendent Karen Schmidt. “They are learning virtually for the next two weeks.”Puckett High School students were sent home last week to continue classes remotely after an increase in COVID-19 cases.Rankin County had more than 200 newly reported cases of coronavirus in a two-week period, prompting the governor to add Rankin and 14 other counties to a new mask mandate.Brandon Mayor Butch Lee said businesses and residents are being encouraged to buckle down.“We are under a mask dictate by the governor and we should respect that. We have had a spike and we are going to be cognizant of that,” Lee said.At Heart of the South, operators had already tightened up on pandemic safety rules when the case numbers started to rise statewide.“Even when the mandate was lifted, before we still encouraged it, about a week ago we put a sign back on the door saying masks are required because we are wanting to keep a safe, happy holiday shopping experience for everybody,” said shop owner Stephanie Ball. The governor’s new executive order not only includes mask mandates, but also limits on social gatherings. The new rules do not affect football games and restaurant capacity. Restaurants remain at 75% capacity rules.
BRANDON, Miss. —

Rankin County is one of 15 Mississippi counties under a mask mandate.

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Gov. Tate Reeves extended his Safe Return order Wednesday and announced the counties that will face additional restrictions.

Northwest Elementary School in Rankin County was forced to send a second-grade class to learn from home after a potential COVID-19 outbreak.

“We found out late last week we had four cases in one individual classroom, so we made the decision to err on the side of safety for our students and our staff to send those students home,” said Rankin County School District Assistant Superintendent Karen Schmidt. “They are learning virtually for the next two weeks.”

Puckett High School students were sent home last week to continue classes remotely after an increase in COVID-19 cases.

Rankin County had more than 200 newly reported cases of coronavirus in a two-week period, prompting the governor to add Rankin and 14 other counties to a new mask mandate.

Brandon Mayor Butch Lee said businesses and residents are being encouraged to buckle down.

“We are under a mask dictate by the governor and we should respect that. We have had a spike and we are going to be cognizant of that,” Lee said.

At Heart of the South, operators had already tightened up on pandemic safety rules when the case numbers started to rise statewide.

“Even when the mandate was lifted, before we still encouraged it, about a week ago we put a sign back on the door saying masks are required because we are wanting to keep a safe, happy holiday shopping experience for everybody,” said shop owner Stephanie Ball.

The governor’s new executive order not only includes mask mandates, but also limits on social gatherings. The new rules do not affect football games and restaurant capacity. Restaurants remain at 75% capacity rules.