The coronavirus pandemic has made its way into Leflore County with one confirmed presumptive positive case, according to the state health department.
On Friday afternoon, Greenwood Leflore Hospital confirmed that an adult female in the county tested presumptive positive for COVID-19.
There were six cases identified in the state as of Friday evening, according to a statement in a press conference held by the Mississippi State Department of Health.
Three are in Forrest County, and one is in Leflore County, according to the state health department. Officials did not say where the other two cases are located because they were still under investigation. The department said that information would be available for the public by Saturday, if not before.
In Leflore County, “the patient had no history of travels but had been in contact with those who traveled from an area of transmission,” the hospital’s press release said.
Among the four cases that have been investigated, the state health department reported Friday that only one of the individuals was over the age of 65 — a woman who tested positive in Forrest County. She was traveling from North Carolina.
Greenwood hospital officials declined to give the current location of the patient or say how many of its staff were in contact with the patient but reported in the press release that those staff members “have no symptoms.” They are being quarantined, monitored and observed.
The hospital is setting up screening centers on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday at the same time for people who are concerned that they might have contracted COVID-19.
Children age 12 and under will be seen in the parking lot of the Greenwood Children’s Clinic; adults and children above age 13 will be seen at Magnolia Medical Clinic.
The health department has encouraged clinics and hospitals to be flexible with costs for testing due to the extraordinary circumstances.
At the press conference, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs assured that the “vast majority of people will have an uneventful recovery and almost certainly immunity.”
People who will be seen at Greenwood Leflore Hospital’s centers include those with symptoms of fever, coughing, fatigue, difficulty breathing and those who have been in contact with someone with coronavirus or have recently traveled to an area with coronavirus.
As a temporary precautionary measure, the hospital is restricting the number of visitors in the waiting areas of the hospital and its clinics to one person per patient.
“We assure you that we are equipped to handle and contain such cases and will continue to take all necessary measures of precaution to ensure the health and safety of our patients, our staff and our community,” the press release read.
If you have questions about coronavirus, contact the Mississippi State Department of Health’s COVID-19 Hotline at 877-978-6453 or visit https://msdh.ms.gov/.
• Contact Kerrigan Herret at 581-7233 or kherret@gwcommonwealth.com.
