A record number of Mississippians in hospital beds

State health officers say the virus is having a big impact on the state's health system.

EVEN WITH SOCIAL DISTANCINGMEASURE IN PLACE TO SLOW THESPREAD, THE NUMBER OFCONFIRMEND COVID-19 CASESREQUINGHOSPITILIZATION ARE HITTINGWHAT'SDESCRIBED AS PEAK LEVELS... DR. THOMAS DOBBS OF THEMISSISSIPPI STATEDEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SAYS WE AREAT AN ALL-TIME HIGH NUMBER OF PATIENTSRECIEVINTREATMENT FOR COVID - 19... SOTDR. DOBBS"WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASEUTILIZATION OF HOSPITAL CAPACITYOF PATIENTS WITH CORONAVIRUS.

IFWE LOOK AT THE NUMBER OFHOSPITAL BEDS BEING USED, WEARE AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH OF 429."IN ADDITION,DOBBS SAYS THATTHERE ARE 162CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS INTHESTATE'S ICU BEDS,AND 77 PATIENTS ARE ONVENTILATORS...THE GOVERNOR SAYS THAT TOCONTINFLATTENING THE CURVE, HE EXPECTSMISSISPPIANS TO BE VIGILANT, ANDTAKEPERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

NOTONLY FOR THEMSELVES, AND THEIRFAMILY...BUT OTHERS THEY COME INCONTACT WITH...BOTH HE, AND DR. DOBBS HAVEREPEATEDLYCALLED FOR THE USE OF MASKS INPUBLIC...BUTMANY ARE NOT HEADING THATREQUEST...SOTJERMIKAL AMOS:34-:40THE MASK IS TO...IT'S REALLY TOSTOP PEOPLE FROM HAVIN'...PEOPLETHAT ALREADYHAVE IT, TO STOP THEM FROMSPREADING IT.BUTT THESE SOTS TOGETHERSOTJERMIKAL AMOS1:32-1:38AS FAR AS IT BEING AIRBORNE ORANYTHING...AS LONG AS YOU'REKEEPING YOUR SOCIAL DISTANCE,YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYIN', ITHINK WE'LL BE OKBUTT THESE SOTS TOGETHER SOTRACHEL PARKER4:24-4:34WHAT I GET WORRIED ABOUT ISSEEING FOLKS WITH A MASK ANDGLOVES ON.

THAT WORRIESME...BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE HOWCLEAN THAT MASK AND GLOVES ARE.AND, NOW I GOT TO COME BEHINDYOUGOVERNOR REEVES SAYS UNDER THENEWSAFER AT HOME' EXECUTIVE ORDER,HEDESN'T EXPECT TO SEE A SPIKE INCASES...HE SAYS HE BELIEVES WE ARE AT ACONSISTANT PLATEAU...BUT STATE LEADERS ALSOACKNOWLEDGE WEARE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS IN THEBATTLEAGAINST CORONAVIRUS...SOTDR. DOBBS"THIS THING IS NOT OVER.

WE NEEDTOCONTINUE TO BE CAREFUL.CERTAINLY WE HAVE FLATTENEDTHE CURVE, AND WE FEEL LIKE WEHAVE MAINTAINED A PRETTY GOODHOSPITAL CAPACITY FOR EVERYONEINMISSISSIPPI TO GET THE CARE THEYNEED, BUT PLEASE NOW IS NOT THETIME TO LET DOWN OUR GUARD." ASIDE FROM AN EMPHASIS ONWEARINGMASKS, AND LIMITING TRAVEL TOONLYESSENTIAL ERRANDS, STATEOFFICIALS SAYTHEY WANT TO INCREASE TESTINGAMONG THOSWHO DON'T HAVE SYMPTOMS... THEYALSO WANT TO EXPAND TESTING ATALLLONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES TOINCLUDALL PATIENTS AND STAFF...REPORTING FROM HOME TONIGHT,TROY JOHNSON...16 WAPT NEWS AT10... THE GOVERNOR - LAYING OUT HISPLAN FOR THE "CARES ACT" MON