As businesses in the state were given the green light to reopen, Gov. Tate Reeves told members of the media that the coronavirus outbreak is far from over.
Reeves held his daily press briefing on June 1, where he reiterated the fact that residents should continue to use caution when out in the public.
He also said that he would be willing to put new restrictions in place if he sees a spike in new coronavirus cases.
“I want to make sure everyone hears me loud and clear: the threat of COVID-19 is as great as ever, if not greater,” he said. “I know the cable channels are moving on. I know we see crowds of tens of thousands gathered in cities across the country. I even know our actions to allow people to get back to work can be misinterpreted."
Today, 251 new cases were reported, including five new deaths.
The reports bring the total number of infections in the state to 15,752. Of those, 739 individuals have died.
“Much of this is being generated by community spread – not associated with outbreaks in long-term care facilities,” said State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs.
Meanwhile, Dobbs said 108 people suffered respiratory failure over the weekend and needed to be put on respirators. He said that number has since dropped.
Reeves and Dobbs urged people to continue practice social distancing, wear masks and practice other government guidelines to prevent the spread.
“We have worked closely with Dr. Dobbs and his teams that will allow businesses to return to their jobs safely. But we are not back to normal. If care about protecting the lives of your loved ones, we must say strong, we must stay vigilant.
“There are guidelines for safe practices. Please use them. There are rules for social gatherings; please follow them. I urge you. Do not put me in position to do things I do not want to have to do.”
