Mississippi News
Free COVID-19 tests now available at health departments
Free COVID-19 tests now available at county health departments
Mississippians can now pick up free COVID-19 self-tests from their county health department.
Under the program, each family can receive eight BinaxNow rapid tests each month. No doctor's note or documentation is needed, though the recipient's name, number of tests and zip code will be logged. The tests can be picked up during regular health department hours without an appointment.
The number of tests each county health department received was based on the county's population and the number of days the clinic is open. Each county health department can order more tests as often as necessary.
Liz Sharlot, director of communications at MSDH, said that the free test program has been in the works for the last few months and that the health department is “filling a public health gap and need by providing these home tests to the community.”
The move to supply free tests to Mississippians will help ease the financial barrier to at-home testing, as a pack of two self tests typically costs around $20.
This move by the health department comes as Mississippi faces another surge in COVID-19 infections. The state was seeing an average of 105 new infections each day at the beginning of May, but is now seeing an average of 1,445. Hospitalizations have also increased by more than 50% over the past month.
The MSDH program is similar to a federal free test program, where USPS will ship eight tests to any home in the U.S. A third round of free at-home tests can be ordered at COVIDtests.gov.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
House Speaker Mike Johnson appears at Mississippi event
SUMMARY: US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson visited Mississippi and spoke at Jackson Preparatory School during an event hosted by NACLC. While reporters were unable to ask him questions, student Sophie Slade asked him about balancing foreign and domestic policy priorities. Johnson emphasized the importance of America first but not America only, and expressed concern about projecting weakness in foreign policy. He also discussed issues at the southern border and his recent speech at Columbia University about the protests following the war between Israel and Hamas. Additionally, officials announced that the US is expected to provide $6 billion to fund long-term weapons contracts for Ukraine.
The post House Speaker Mike Johnson appears at Mississippi event appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Community stands behind mother who lost her daughter tragically
SUMMARY: Sonya Baldwin, a longtime Hardee's employee in Columbus, Mississippi, recently lost her daughter Ashanti Jade Turner. Despite the tragedy, Baldwin has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from her community. Turner's granddaughter spoke about her close relationship with her aunt, emphasizing that her legacy will live on. Chick-fil-A in Columbus will be holding a candlelight vigil in Jade's memory. Baldwin expressed gratitude for the support during this difficult time and emphasized the importance of remembering her daughter. The community's response has been a source of comfort for the grieving family.
The post Community stands behind mother who lost her daughter tragically appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
Newly named Mr. NEMCC proves anything is possible
SUMMARY: Kirklyn Johnson credits his success in music to God. Despite being diagnosed with autism, he excelled in music throughout school and was recently voted Mr. NEMCC. Johnson believes his faith is the foundation for his success and wants to teach music to make a positive impact on students. His energy and outlook are contagious, and he plans to continue his music education at MSU in the fall. Johnson's story is one of overcoming challenges with the help of his faith and his love for music.
The post Newly named Mr. NEMCC proves anything is possible appeared first on www.wcbi.com
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