North MS Regional Center Confirms COVID-19 Cases

By Alyssa Schnugg
News editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

The Mississippi State Department of Health released a breakdown of cases in long-term care facilities around the state by county, confirming that Lafayette County has 10 known positive COVID-19 cases in a local LTC facility.

On Monday, North Mississippi Regional Center confirmed that both employees and individuals served at NMRC have tested positive for COVID-19.

“NMRC is following CDC and Mississippi State Department of Health guidelines regarding quarantine and isolation,” stated NMRC in an email.

Families of the NMRC client who tested positive have been notified.

“NMRC, and all Department of Mental Health operated programs, are conducting screenings and temperature checks. Clients are regularly screened for symptoms and DMH programs have established isolation areas for if a client tests positive,” the email stated.

CDC and MSDH guidelines include:

• Requiring employees who are sick, show signs of a fever, a cough, or any respiratory illness to notify their supervisors and stay home.
• Employees have been screened for any out of state travel of exposure to infected individuals.
• In all cases when possible, employee temperatures are taken before being allowed in the workplace.
• Additional guidelines include washing hands frequently and thoroughly, cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces, and refraining from unnecessary movement outside the immediate work area.

According to the MSDH, there have been no COVID-19-related deaths at NMRC as of Tuesday morning.

As of this morning, Lafayette County has 68 cases, three deaths and one LTC facility outbreak, which is at NMRC.

Across the state, there were 204 new cases of COVID-19 and 14 new deaths. The total of Mississippi’s cases since March 11 now stands at 4,716, with 183 deaths.