Mayor Sanders provides Covid update

Friday, August 20, 2021

Active COVID-19 cases have continued to rise in Mississippi County as reported by Blytheville Mayor James Sanders.

On Aug. 18, he confirmed that there were 244 cases in the county, an increase of 27 from last week’s report. Mississippi County health officer Dr. Valencia Andrews-Pirtle also provided a breakdown of what cities these cases are located in.

She reported that Blytheville has 105 active cases, Osceola has 48, Manila has 36, Leachville has 18 and the remaining cases are spread through the smaller towns in the county.

Interim superintendent of the Blytheville School District Jennifer Blankenship confirmed that the school board has reinstated their mask mandate. This will include all students, teachers, faculty and campus visitors.

Blankenship also announced a vaccine clinic on Aug. 31 at the Chickasaw Arena from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Gosnell School District will also host a vaccine clinic on Aug. 26 in the high school auditorium from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sanders and Pirtle continued to push for trust within the medical field to reduce the amount of vaccine hesitancy.

“The information is ever-changing on what’s going on across the country and world because the virus is changing,” Sanders said. “It’s not that we’re saying medical science is not good or they didn't do what they should’ve. It’s just that when you’re dealing with something that’s ever-changing, you either change with it or accept the consequences that could come.”

Pirtle continued to speak about the importance of testing, especially for those who may be immunocompromised. She confirmed that monoclonal antibodies are available for those patients in Blytheville.

“If you get tested for covid and it’s positive, you need to make sure if you have any risk factors that make you eligible for the monoclonal antibodies that you do so within 10 days. Otherwise it really won’t help much,” Pirtle said. “Get a copy of your results and present that to your doctor. They’ll get that to the hospital here so you can get those antibodies.”

Sanders also reported active cases in neighboring counties, recording 1,166 in Craighead, 434 in Crittenden, 587 in Greene and 282 in Poinsett.