Will Mississippi schools return to masks, other COVID-19 protocols as possible cases rise?

Schools in Mississippi are not seeing a significant increase in the number of COVID-19-like cases despite a significant rise in cases statewide over the summer.

Mississippi began seeing an increase in the number of cases of COVID-19-like illnesses in July and August after reaching a weekly low of 368 cases in mid-June, according to health department records.

In the week ending Aug. 19, the latest available, the state saw nearly 2,000 possible COVID-19 cases — more than six times the number of cases reported two months earlier.

Mississippi started the year with 2,149 cases — the highest so far in 2023 — in the week ending Jan. 7. That number steadily declined until June. Now, the year's weekly high could soon be surpassed if cases continue to rise.

At this point, officials with the state's public and private universities as well as its community colleges and K-12 schools, are taking no action but are staying aware and following state health department recommendations.

And if it is up to Gov. Tate Reeves, they never will.

On Monday, Reeves issued a scathing statement accusing the media of speculating whether mask mandates or other COVID-related protocols will return.

"Mississippians will not and should not submit to fear again," Reeves said in the statement. "In the early days of COVID, there was understandable uncertainty. We did not yet know what we were facing.

"As the months unfolded, it became clear that there were two pandemics. A disease that was easy to spread and that was deadly for many vulnerable people. And a pandemic of fear stoked by 'the expert class' that demanded total subjugation of the American people."

Click here: Read Gov. Tate Reeves' statement in full

The Clarion Ledger and Hattiesburg American asked school officials throughout the state whether they would consider masking again or taking other COVID preventive measures.

In the Jackson area, officials at Jackson State University said they are not seeing any COVID-19 spikes on campus.

"We are mask-optional, and we are following the Mississippi State Department of Health guidelines," said Alonda Thomas, chief communications officer and associate vice president for Marketing and Communications at Jackson State.

Belhaven University also has not seen an increase in the number of possible COVID-19 cases, said David Sprayberry, Belhaven's director of public relations.

"We are always monitoring it carefully, but we have not seen any significant change," he said. "Student safety comes first, and we will adjust our pattern if the circumstances change."

Mississippi College in Clinton has not seen an increase in COVID-19-like illnesses.

"As of now, there are no additional protocols in place at Mississippi College," said Bruce Coleman, a communications specialist at MC. "Students have been advised to follow their physicians' orders regarding COVID-19."

The University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University are not seeing a significant increase in cases on their campuses.

"We will continue to monitor those cases and encourage our campus community to be mindful of their health and to get tested as soon as possible if they believe they have any symptoms," said Jacob Batte, director of news and media relations at the University of Mississippi.

"As with the pandemic, we are following protocols from the Mississippi State Department of Health and IHL," Mississippi State University Vice President of Communications Sid Salter said in an email. "We have received no guidance in that direction and while we have seen some slight uptick in COVID diagnoses, we have not seen an alarming number."

Like MSU, other universities in the state are not taking action, but continue to monitor coronavirus activity.

"William Carey’s leadership remains attentive to local, state and national updates about COVID-19, but has not instituted any changes to its policies at this time," Carey spokesperson Suzanne Monk said.

Nearby, the University of Southern Mississippi also is taking no action at this time.

The Institutions of Higher Learning, which governs the state's public universities, has not issued any new measures regarding COVID-19 protocols, said Kim Gallaspy, IHL assistant commissioner for Government Relations.

"We will continue to rely on the Mississippi State Department of Health for recommendations to mitigate the spread of COVID-19," she said.

None of the state's community colleges appear to be taking extra measures, either.

“The community colleges take seriously the health and safety of all students," said Kell Smith, executive director of the Mississippi Community College Board. "As autonomous institutions, it is up to each community college to establish its own policies.”

The state's K-12 school districts set policy according to guidance from the Mississippi State Department of Health.

"MSDH encourages all schools to follow CDC guidance for COVID-19 prevention," said Dr. Kathryn Taylor, interim state epidemiologist. "When K-12 schools or school districts have COVID-19 cases or outbreaks they are encouraged to reach out to MSDH for guidance and recommendations as needed. K-12 schools are also able to request COVID-19 tests from the MSDH COVID-19 unit if needed."

While Mississippi schools may not be taking extra precautions, other areas of the country are taking a proactive stance.

Not far from Mississippi's border, one university in Louisiana is taking action to help stop the spread of the coronavirus on its campus.

Dillard University began requiring masks indoors at its New Orleans campus. A Nola.com news article reported Loyola University also noted an increase in COVID-19 cases, and is asking people on campus to continue basic hygiene practices, but is not requiring masks.

Louisiana also has seen its COVID-19 infections rise at an alarming rate in the last two months, with more than 8,000 cases reported in the week ending Aug. 20, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

In other parts of the country, public school districts are closing campuses due to the spread of COVID-19, according to a USA TODAY report. Two districts in Kentucky and one in Texas have announced temporary closures.

According to USA TODAY, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data on coronavirus cases is several weeks out of date and no longer tracks COVID-19 infections. Most Americans take at-home tests and don't report results.  However, more than a quarter of wastewater testing sites reported a large increase in virus levels over the past two weeks as of Aug. 21.

Do you have a story to share? Contact Lici Beveridge at lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.

This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: COVID-19 increases; Mississippi schools take no action