26 Mississippi legislators test positive for COVID-19 after outbreak tied to state Capitol
Source: The Hill
A coronavirus outbreak linked to the Mississippi state Capitol has infected more than 20 state lawmakers, according to a top health officer. State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs said that 36 people who work at the Capitol have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, including 26 lawmakers. The figure means that about 1 in 6 legislators have contracted the virus.
The leaders of both chambers Speaker Philip Gunn (R) and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann (R) are among those who have tested positive. Dobbs said that the Mississippi Health Department is actively monitoring the outbreak, noting that 290 people have been tested at the Capitol so far this week. The uptick in infections follows a month in which many legislators worked in the Capitol without following health guidelines recommending the use of face masks.
State Rep. Ronnie Crudup Jr. (D) said Wednesday that he had contracted the coronavirus. In a statement, he said that he wore a mask 95 percent of the time while "around the Capitol and public places" but emphasized that the 5 percent of the time he did not may have made the difference.
As of Thursday morning, Mississippi health authorities had reported nearly 33,000 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in the state and about 1,180 deaths caused by it. The news of an outbreak at the Capitol arrives as several parts of the U.S. experience a surge in infections, prompting some states to pause reopening plans and institute measures requiring face masks in public spaces.
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/506524-26-mississippi-legislators-test-positive-for-covid-19-after-recent
But, hey, let's send the kids back to school !
bucolic_frolic
(43,128 posts)By Columbus Day, by Halloween, the schools will be half-empty or closed from the outbreak. We are headed into COVID oblivion.
We need to keep the essentials running and lockdown the rest. For many months.
sarcasmo
(23,968 posts)DFW
(54,349 posts)It sure could have.
If you have been caught in a gun battle with the Taliban in Afghanistan, and "only" 5 per cent of the two hundred bullets fired in your direction hit you, you're still probably in bad shape.
Shell_Seas
(3,332 posts)Maribelle
(4,783 posts)... waiting for the Mississippi Governor to start blubbering about what a great job he did managing the COVID-19 when all the while you couldn't tell the difference between him and DeSantis of Florida - - both Trump lapdogs.
IronLionZion
(45,427 posts)oh wait...
Trump/GOP thinks jobs/economy/productivity will come back up after sending kids back to school. And if they lose the November election, Dems will have an even bigger problem to deal with as there would be lots more infections as kids spread it to each other, teachers, and family members.
Mickju
(1,803 posts)Any sentient being
greenjar_01
(6,477 posts)mysteryowl
(7,376 posts)Are all but one republicans?
aggiesal
(8,911 posts)lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)I see two (R) and one (D) mentioned. Anybody got the total?
totodeinhere
(13,058 posts)It's an equal opportunity killer.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)totodeinhere
(13,058 posts)lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)For example, the (D) guy believes he got it in the 5% of time he screwed up and didn't mask up.
And yes, we know they vary from 5% effective to 95% effective, depending on type of mask and user skills.
totodeinhere
(13,058 posts)That makes their mask about 0% effective. How can people be so stupid?
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)FakeNoose
(32,633 posts)I hope, I hope?
totodeinhere
(13,058 posts)racist flag, some of them caught the virus.
LuckyLib
(6,819 posts)How's that working for you?