Lawmakers return to the capital to address the Governor’s education budget bill veto and other matters.

Then, nearly two weeks after soaring highs in COVID-19 case numbers, lagging indicators like hospitalizations and ICU occupancy are catching up to the hospital system. We hear how the the state’s only Tier One trauma hospital is preparing.

Plus, the CDC and Health Department visit Holmes County for a widespread community testing initiative.

Segment 1:

Lawmakers are expected to return to the Mississippi capitol today to handle some unfinished

business. The legislature adjourned early last month, sending a number of bills to the desk of Governor Tate Reeves for signature. Reeves would end up vetoing some of them, including the education budget bill - now at the center of a lawsuit between lawmakers and the Governor.

Leaders reserved six days of the regular session to return - in order to appropriate the remainder of the CARES Act funds. But soon after dismissing, at least 40 capital personnel tested positive for COVID-19, creating uncertainty as to when members would be able to return to address the series of vetoes. Reeves has said he would not call the legislature back into session until he feels it is safe. Robert Johnson is the Democratic Leader in the House. He tells our Desare Frazier the lawmakers' return is necessary right now.

Segment 2:

Mississippi’s seven-day rolling average of coronavirus infections is trending down following a month of the state’s highest rates of community transmission. But the data suggests the worst could still be yet to come for those lagging indicators like hospitalizations, ICU occupancy, and ventilator utilization - all of which remain at or near their highest levels. Dr. LouAnn Woodward is the Vice Chancellor of Health Services at the University of Mississippi Medical Center - the state’s sole Tier I trauma facility. She tells our Michael Guidry those record high case numbers from two weeks ago are just starting to manifest in the hospital data.

Segment 3:

Holmes County is a major hotspot for the coronavirus in Mississippi, despite having a relatively small population. Now, a partnership between the Mississippi Department of Health, CDC, National Guard and University of Mississippi Medical Center is working to test every resident in the town of Lexington for the coronavirus. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs says he hopes this focused testing initiative can slow the spread of the virus by catching asymptomatic carriers.

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