Lawrence County’s first case of COVID-19 is staying inside her home with her husband over the next two weeks, authorities said.
“She came in and tested on the 17th, went home and self-quarantined,” said Lawrence County Emergency Management Director Tony Norwood. “Her husband is taking care of her and he is quarantined with her.”
The couple is in Day 5 of a 14-day quarantine.
“They have friends and family that are bringing groceries and different supplies that they need and putting it on their front porch for them to reach out and get it. They’re not even supposed to be coming out of their home,” he said.
While the woman is the first in Lawrence County, Norwood said there may be others. Several people have been tested, but no other positive results have been reported.
With the news of the county’s first positive case, Monticello Mayor Martha Watts issued a proclamation recommending that all restaurants within Monticello immediately take all necessary measures to prevent gatherings larger than 10 people to occur inside their facilities.
“Any indoor dining must be arranged such that groups are spaced at least 6 feet apart and that anyone serving such groups engage in sanitation practices before traversing from one group to another,” she wrote. “Any buffet, salad bar or similar service should be restricted in a manner that such be accessed only by restaurant staff that have engaged in appropriate sanitation practices.”
Watts recommends the use of drive-thru windows and curbside delivery service.
Friday, the Mississippi State Department of Health reported 80 cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi with one death. More than 775 individuals have been tested.
In Southwest Mississippi, as of Friday, Lincoln, Jefferson and Amite counties had not reported any positive cases. Lawrence along with Copiah, Pike, Franklin, Walthall, Adams and Wilkinson counties all have positive cases reported.
Other COVID-19 updates:
• The Brookhaven School District will distribute “At Home Learning” packets of material for students to use during the next two weeks. These materials will also be available as digital resources on the BSD website. These packets are optional and are to be used as enrichment materials. No student-work will be returned to schools and grades will not be assigned. Distribution of packets will be Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the bus lane at Mamie Martin Elementary, Alexander Junior High and Brookhaven High School and in the parent pickup line at Brookhaven Elementary and Lipsey Middle School.
• The Brookhaven School District office hours on each campus is 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. for phone calls only. No visitors are allowed on campus.
• Report cards for the third nine weeks for students in the Brookhaven School District will be mailed Thursday.
• Teachers in the Lincoln County School District will send resources to parents to work with their children during this extended time away from school. Teachers will contact individual students’ parents by Thursday.
• The Lincoln County School District is asking parents to contact their children’s’ schools about the child nutrition program to designate a “grab and go” option or delivery. On Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., all four county attendance centers will provide meals, and will continue every Monday, Wednesday and Friday until students return to school. Lunches will be provided at no charge for preschoolers through age 18. For “grab and go” option, the student must be present in the vehicle to receive the bag lunch.
