Mississippi News
Health department seeks outside review of COVID-19 response
‘What happened?’ Health department will hire an outsider to evaluate Mississippi COVID-19 response
How well did Mississippi respond to the COVID-19 pandemic? The health department is hiring an outside contractor to answer that question.
The contractor, who should start work in early November, will conduct interviews with people involved in a wide range of pandemic response efforts, from contact tracing and COVID testing to hospital operations and public information. They’ll prepare an “after-action report” that will reconstruct and analyze Mississippi’s response – including how well state and local agencies followed emergency response plans – and offer suggestions for improvement.
Department staff typically prepare after-action reports following disasters or public health emergencies. But because of the scope of the pandemic response, which lasted more than 800 days, the department is hiring a contractor this time, Jim Craig, senior deputy and director of health protection, said in a statement to Mississippi Today.
Craig said the report will be used to improve pandemic planning and preparedness. The department will use federal funds to pay the contractor.
Just shy of 13,000 Mississippians have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to health department data. Nearly 900,000 cases have been reported in the state.
During the first year of the pandemic, Mississippi was frequently one of the first states to loosen restrictions on masking and crowds in public places. Months after Gov. Tate Reeves lifted the state’s mask mandate, as cases surged during the delta wave, he called the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation for indoor masking “foolish.”
Mississippi had the highest per capita number of deaths of any state in the country, with 427 deaths for every 100,000 people, according to the New York Times. The national average was 311.
A report by the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund released in June ranked Mississippi’s pandemic response last among 50 states and the District of Columbia. Mississippi scored particularly poorly in premature deaths from treatable causes – ranking 51st – and out-of-pocket medical costs for employees.
Mississippi also saw the country’s highest percentage increase in the drug overdose death rate from 2019 to 2020, according to the Commonwealth Fund.
The report produced for the health department will take a closer look at the nuts and bolts of the agency’s pandemic response. The analysis will answer questions including:
- “What happened? What was supposed to happen based on current plans, policies and procedures?
- Was there a difference? What was the impact?
- Do plans, policies, and procedures support activities and associated tasks?
- Are MSDH responders familiar with these documents?”
According to the request for proposals, the state recently conducted feedback sessions with regional health department team members. The results of those sessions will be shared with the contractor chosen to write the report.
The 59-page request offers a sense of the scope of the state’s pandemic response, which involved thousands of people working at the health department, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Mississippi Department of Human Services, the Mississippi State University Extension Service, the Board of Animal Health, the National Guard and the Department of Environmental Quality, as well as private contractors.
The state had operated 916 testing sites as of April 7, 2022 and processed over 3,200,000 PCR tests as of late April.
The contract will last until early November 2023 but may be renewed by the health department for an additional year.
The department also hired an outside contractor to evaluate its response to Hurricane Katrina.
“The lessons learned from the Katrina after-action report furthered the health and medical response to hurricanes in Mississippi,” Craig said.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: November 22-24
SUMMARY: This weekend (November 22-24), Mississippi offers a variety of events for everyone. Highlights include the Fleet Feet Coffee Run in Ridgeland, the Miss Magnolia State Pageant in Vicksburg, and the Handworks Holiday Market in Jackson. In Jackson, enjoy exhibits like “Dinosaurs Around the World” and “Of Salt and Spirit,” plus festive activities such as the “Magic of Lights” display and the “Journey to the North Pole” exhibit. In Hattiesburg, check out the Faculty Artist Series, the Pine Belt Holiday Expo, and the Ford Foundation Turkey Trot. Other events include markets, festivals, and live music throughout the state.
The post Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: November 22-24 appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Attorneys file motion to delay Jackson bribery trial
SUMMARY: In connection with the Jackson bribery scandal, attorneys for federal officials and local leaders filed a motion to postpone the trial to allow time for extensive evidence review, including hours of recordings and thousands of pages of documents. Key figures charged include Hinds County DA Jody Owens, Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba, and Councilman Aaron Banks, each facing multiple counts of conspiracy related to bribery and fraud. The scandal involves alleged bribes amounting to over $80,000 related to a downtown development project, facilitated by individuals posing as real estate developers working with the FBI.
The post Attorneys file motion to delay Jackson bribery trial appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Family of Dexter Wade rallies outside JPD nearly two years after his death
SUMMARY: Nearly two years after Dexter Wade’s death, his family continues seeking justice. On November 20, Dexter Wade Day was observed in Jackson, declared by Councilman Kenneth Stokes. Wade, hit by a Jackson police cruiser in March 2023, was later found in a pauper’s grave in Hinds County, and his mother, Bettersten Wade, was unaware of his death until August 2023. She believes his death was covered up. No arrests have been made, and authorities consider it an accident. Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade expressed condolences and shared updates on new policies to prevent similar tragedies.
The post Family of Dexter Wade rallies outside JPD nearly two years after his death appeared first on www.wjtv.com
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