County now has 4 COVID cases

At Monday’s press conference, Mississippi County Judge John Alan Nelson and Blytheville Mayor James Sanders stated that there was only one COVID-19 case in Mississippi County. Tuesday morning, the county judge’s office confirmed that the county now had four cases in Mississippi County. As of Tuesday afternoon, there have been 26 negative tests in the county, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.

Nelson’s office had no comment other than the confirmation the cases number in Mississippi County rising to four.

Sanders stated he has been told there are four confirmed cases in Mississippi County and found out about it after Monday’s press conference.

When asked if there will be another news conference on Tuesday, Sanders stated not as of Tuesday afternoon but he does have the Mississippi County Health officer invited to Wednesday’s conference to discuss the update.

Sanders also added that with the first case in Mississippi County that was reported last Thursday, he was called by the Health Department. He stated on Tuesday he had not been called so he believes that the three new cases are not within the Blytheville zip code area.

At Monday’s press conference, Nelson addressed the concerns that have come to his office.

“The Covid-19 conditions continue to change and these changes give us the data that we are able to use to suppress the spread of this infectious disease. It is important for us to remember this is a marathon and it is not a sprint,” said Nelson. “In today’s 24/7 news cycle the information coming at us on TV and social media can easily overwhelm us and at times mislead us and keep in mind that most of those commercial stations that are broadcasting the news are driven by advertisement and rankings and a lot of times the information they put out are more designed to keep you to stay tuned rather than to inform you on the facts.”

Nelson continued, “I want you to remember it is important that we base our actions on science, fact and data that drive our response to this virus. Our county decision-making is guided by the realities that are happening here and not approaching as one size fits all. We are not Pulaski Academy. We are not Little Rock. We are not Memphis. We are Mississippi County. And that allows us to manage the spread of the virus without needing to resort to the kinds of unjust shut downs and harshly enforced regulations that are being adopted by costal cities, larger counties and states. During the time of dealing with the coronavirus we can actually enjoy our sparsely populated county, which is comprised of 900 square miles. Keep in mind that New York City alone has far more in just one and a half square miles of their city than we do in our 900 square miles… My role in public safety is something that I take very seriously. It is also important for us to remember that it is the people themselves who are primarily important for their safety.”

Nelson stated that he took an oath before taking office to protect the people and the freedoms of people in Mississippi County and he will protect them and their freedoms.

“We are free to exercise our rights to work. We are free to exercise our rights to worship and to pray or to stay at home or conduct social distances. I will protect those freedoms as I swore an oath before the US Constitution and the State Constitution before I took office,” Nelson explained. “China on the other hand is a Marxist, Leninist, one party socialist regime. They rule the people with an iron hand and we do not. I receive request at least once or twice a week to lockdown our county. I receive request to urge our governor to lockdown our state. Not only would that be illegal for me to attempt to do that it’d be a disgrace to our individual liberties, justice and civil rights where we the people have placed the restrictions on the powers of government rather than the other way around.”

Nelson also stated that Mississippi County is in a good position and has two “very functional hospitals”— Great River Medical Center in Blytheville and South Mississippi County in Osceola.

Nelson added that the county would continue to model their efforts that are outlined by the CDC, ADH and Governor Asa Hutchinson.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Arkansas Department of Health reported 932 cases, with 16 deaths and 142 recoveries. There were 383,256 in the United States on Tuesday afternoon, with 12,021 deaths.