FDA Approves Second COVID-19 Booster For Immunocompromised, 50-And-Up
At-risk Mississippians over 12 years of age as well as anyone over 50 are now eligible for a second booster dose, thanks to authorization from the Food and Drug Administration today.
COVID-19 Program for Uninsured Ends as Global Cases Rise
A federal program closing this week could mean less access to COVID-19 testing and treatment for poorer Mississippians moving forward.
Schools, Libraries Close As Mayor Declares Weather Emergency
In the midst of severe weather threatening Mississippi and the larger South, Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba issued a proclamation of a local weather emergency this morning closing vulnerable locations and providing a notice of sandbag availability to help prepare for the storm.
Mississippi Legislature Cuts Ties with Russia
Echoing deepening sanctions from the U.S. government, both the Mississippi House of Representatives and Senate passed resolutions this week condemning Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and barring any business between state entities and Russia.
Waste Management Dismisses Lawsuit Against City of Jackson
Two weeks after filing a lawsuit against the City of Jackson, garbage-disposal company Waste Management has voluntarily filed a motion for dismissal of its case.
Additional Free COVID-19 Tests Available As Virus Declines Across State
As COVID-19 continues its decline across both Mississippi and the United States, the Biden administration has made additional COVID-19 test kits available for free home delivery to every household in the country.
Lumumba Apologizes for ‘Distraction’ over Dispute with City Council
One week after accusing Jackson City Council members of taking bribes in order to steer government contracts, Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba walked back some of his rhetoric, in tone if not in content.
‘Babies in the Hospital’: Mississippi Drastically Lags in Child and Pediatric Vaccinations
As COVID-19 continues its decline across Mississippi and the country, state health leadership warns that hospitals are still seeing pediatric patients, while vaccinations in children are lagging far behind the national average.
Mayor Lumumba Alleges City-Council Corruption Amid Garbage-Disposal Lawsuit
Amid an ongoing dispute between Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba and the Jackson City Council over garbage-disposal contracts, the mayor said that he believes certain members of the council have accepted bribes.
City of Jackson To Resume Community Cleanup Program
Jackson’s Community Cleanup Program—meant to help support residents in clearing trash from their neighborhoods—is set to resume on the first weekend of March, after city officials put the program on hiatus last November.
‘Fear the Virus, Not the Vaccine’: Leadership Urges Vaccinations for Pregnant Women
The current wave of COVID-19 is on the decline in Mississippi, but state health leadership is urging residents—especially vulnerable populations like pregnant women—to get vaccinated, and to keep up with booster shots.
Mayor Lumumba Declares Local Emergency Amid Garbage Quarrel
Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba issued an emergency contract with Richard’s Disposal as a temporary measure to fix the City of Jackson’s garbage-distribution woes.
MSDH Implores Use of Oral COVID-19 Antiviral Pills amid Monoclonal Antibody Shortage
The Mississippi State Department of Health warned that the state’s allocation of COVID-19 antiviral pills are being under-utilized, while previously relied-upon monoclonal antibody treatments are in short supply.
First ‘Stealth’ Omicron Subvariant Detected In Mississippi
A new “stealth” subvariant of the omicron COVID-19 variant, designated as BA.2 whereas the original omicron variant was named BA.1, has arrived in Mississippi. The new subvariant lacks a mutation that lets scientists determine which variant the virus belongs to, making detection more difficult.
State Healthcare System ‘Essentially Broken,’ MSDH Leadership Says
Mississippi’s healthcare infrastructure may take years to recover from the continuing strain of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, leadership from the Mississippi State Department of Health said in a press briefing last Friday.
Fifteen Months After Initiative Passes, Gov. Reeves Signs Medical Marijuana Into Law
Gov. Tate Reeves gave a reluctant nod to the “will of the people” yesterday, signing Senate Bill 2095 into law. Mississippi now has a fully legalized medical-marijuana program, 15 months after voters passed a ballot initiative backing the program and more than eight months since the State Supreme Court tossed out that initiative.
Lumumba Pushes Back Against EPA Order as Water Issues Plague South Jackson
Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba pushed back against the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest notice of non-compliance in his weekly press briefing, citing supply-chain issues beyond his control.
Reeve’s State of The State Touts Accomplishments Amid Troubles
Gov. Tate Reeves gave his annual State of the State speech this Tuesday, outlining his administration’s accomplishments over the last year and establishing his priorities for 2022.
JPS Forced Into Virtual Classes Amid City Water Woes
Water pressure issues stemming from recent cold weather mean that numerous Jackson Public School locations had to switch to all-virtual learning today, another issue in a long line of problems plaguing the city due to an aging water infrastructure.
More Restrictive Medical Marijuana Program Passes House
Mississippi’s beleaguered medical marijuana program moved closer to completion this week, after the Mississippi House of Representatives voted 104-14 to pass a revision of the state Senate’s more restrictive version of the program.
COVID-19 Cases Continue to Climb as Healthcare Infrastructure Suffers
Mississippi continues to witness climbing COVID-19 numbers into the new year, with the Mississippi State Department of Health reporting another set of record-breaking case reports at 22,456 infections over this weekend alone.
Poor People’s Campaign Offers Free COVID-19 Testing as Cases Rise
COVID-19 infections continue to climb across the state, with the Mississippi State Department of Health reporting 8,204 new cases today along with 26 fatalities and continually increasing outbreaks across the state’s long-term care facilities.
Mayor Lumumba Calls for Increased COVID-19 Vaccinations amid Early 2022 Surge
Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba called for increased vaccination among Jackson residents—especially those most vulnerable, such as the elderly—this week, citing high case numbers in Hinds County.
COVID-19 Breaks Highest Case Total Twice This Week
For the second day in a row this week, the Mississippi State Department of Health reported a record number of COVID-19 cases throughout the state. At 7,079 new infections, the number tops what was only yesterday the previous record at 6,592 cases.
MSDH Reports 17,000 COVID-19 Cases Over New Year’s Weekend
Both nationwide and across Mississippi, the COVID-19 omicron variant has continued to spread through New Year’s weekend.
‘Fifth Wave’ of COVID-19 Here, MSDH Leadership Says
Leadership among the Mississippi State Department of Health warned that the fifth wave of coronavirus is here, with more than 13,000 new cases of COVID-19 identified since Dec. 22, the majority of which consist of the highly contagious omicron variant.
COVID-19 Tests, Monoclonal Treatments in Short Supply amid Case Surge
As the highly contagious omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the U.S., the Mississippi State Department of Health reported a skyrocketing number of COVID-19 cases this week. MSDH reported 2,698 new cases today alone, along with 22 fatalities.
FDA Authorizes Pfizer, Merck COVID-19 Pills
“Today’s authorization introduces the first treatment for COVID-19 that is in the form of a pill that is taken orally—a major step forward in the fight against this global pandemic,” Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in the Dec. 22 FDA press release.
UPDATED: State Health Leadership Urges Holiday Caution as U.S. Sees First Omicron Death
State health leadership is urging Mississippians to take safety precautions against COVID-19 this holiday season, as the Mississippi State Department of Health reports slow but steady increases in the number of cases.
MSMA Town Hall Addresses COVID-19, Vaccine Concerns
As the United States marked the grim record of 800,000 deaths due to COVID-19, state health leadership and physicians attended a Dec. 14 Mississippi State Medical Association virtual town hall to speak to concerns patients raised about COVID-19 and vaccines with their physicians across the state.
MSDH Reports First Pediatric Flu Death of the Season
Mississippi saw its first seasonal pediatric death to influenza this week, ahead of what may hold to be a harsher flu season than 2020.
Second Death-Row Inmate Requests Speedy Execution
Mississippi could execute its second inmate this year after a nine-year hiatus, if the Mississippi Supreme Court grants Blayde Nathataniel Grayson’s request for execution.
MSDH Confirms State’s First Case of Omicron
Omicron, the latest variant of the COVID-19 virus, had already spread to at least 16 other states before the Mississippi State Department of Health confirmed yesterday that omicron has made its way to Mississippi.
U.S. Supreme Court Weighs Mississippi’s Abortion Ban, Pink House Carries on in Interim
After hearing oral arguments in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, the U.S. Supreme Court will soon cast preliminary votes that move the court closer in deciding the fate of Mississippi women’s reproductive rights.
MSDH Lowers Booster Age to 18 as Biden Addresses ‘Omicron’ Variant
As countries around the world reach to grasp an understanding of how quickly the new COVID-19 variant dubbed ‘omicron’ will spread and just how dangerous the new variant may become, the Mississippi State Department of Health recently announced increased accessibility for all three types of vaccine boosters.
WHO Names ‘Omicron,’ New COVID-19 Variant Concerns Experts
"The news about this new variant should make clearer than ever why this pandemic will not end until we have global vaccinations," Biden said. "The United States has already donated more vaccines to other countries than every other country combined. It is time for other countries to match America’s speed and generosity."
MSDH Touts ‘MyIR’ For COVID-19 Vaccine Records
As a growing number of restaurants and businesses in cities around the country require proof of vaccination, Mississippi’s health leadership recently took the opportunity to promote the state’s digital vaccine record website.
Mississippi Executes First Inmate in Nine Years
Last evening the State of Mississippi executed David Neal Cox, 50, by way of lethal injection. The execution marks the first case of capital punishment carried out by the state since 2012, when the State executed Gary Carl Simmons Jr.
Pfizer Booster Nears Availability for All Adults
All medically eligible adults in Mississippi may soon be eligible for Pfizer’s COVID-19 booster shot, if relevant regulatory bodies proceed as anticipated this week.
Second Jackson Summit Held to Tackle Jackson Crime
In the second of such events in one week, Jackson leadership met with residents of the city’s fourth ward this week to tackle a growing concern—violent crime.
MSDH Recommends Vaccine For Kids Ages 5-11
The Mississippi State Department of Health began accepting COVID-19 vaccine reservations for children ages 5 through 11 across the state yesterday, while private clinics and pharmacies also offer the lower-dose vaccine.
Councilman Stokes To Host ‘Stop The Madness’ Summit Against Violent Crime
Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes announced that he is hosting a summit dubbed ‘Stop The Madness’ on Nov. 8 in hopes of reducing violent crime in Jackson and turning youth away from violence.
CDC OKs COVID-19 Vaccine for Kids Ages 5-11
More children across Mississippi will soon be eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorized children ages 5 through 11 to receive Pfizer’s vaccine.
Mayor’s State of the City Speech Tackles Crime, ‘Dignity Economy’
“We've come through a lot together this past term,” Mayor Lumumba began. “We faced a 30-year flood, tornadoes, freezing temperatures that exposed existing vulnerabilities in our infrastructure, and a global pandemic that has fostered a historic rise in violent crime. We came through all of this together.”
COVID-19 Fatalities Pass 10,000, Over 500,000 Cases
“Ten thousand deaths is staggering,” State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers said. “It just didn't have to happen like this. If we had more people who would get the vaccine, certainly we could have avoided some additional transmission and deaths. Our peak and our transmission of activity during the Delta surge was massive.”
FDA Authorizes ‘Mix-And-Match’ COVID-19 Boosters, Pfizer Touts 95% Efficacy
Getting a COVID-19 booster shot could soon become much simpler for those who received Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines, thanks to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s clearance given on Wednesday.
Dobbs Urges COVID-19 Vaccination As Flu Season Approaches
State health leadership urged more Mississippians to get vaccinated before flu season hits during an Oct. 15 press briefing with the Mississippi State Medical Association, as fatalities from COVID-19 continue even as case reports decline.
Moderna Booster Moves Closer To Approval
Some Mississippians who received Moderna’s vaccine may soon qualify for a booster shot, after a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee unanimously voted in favor of the third shot yesterday.
COVID Misinformation Still a Challenge as COVID-19 Wanes, Deaths Still High
COVID-19 is on the decline in Mississippi, as the state’s fourth wave of the virus steadies into an average rate of less-than-800 new cases per day for the past seven days.
Mississippi State Fair Opens
“We have spent many hours this year preparing for a unique State Fair,” Mississippi State Fair Director Michael Lasseter said. “This year we introduce our new Frontier Village, which will showcase an old-time fair feel.” The Village will feature a wild-west show, a petting zoo and a train ride, as well as an “Ag Expo” where attendees can learn about agriculture.
Prev Next