JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - All 15 of Mississippi’s community colleges are planning to have on-campus classes during the fall semester with precautions because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The two-year colleges moved to online classes in mid-March as COVID-19 started to spread in Mississippi.
“Along with much excitement about getting back to campus, all of our colleges are taking the proper precautions to help keep our students, faculty, staff and visitors safe and healthy,” said Steve Bishop, who will soon begin a term as leader of the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges.
Bishop is president of Southwest Mississippi Community College.
The state Health Department said Sunday that Mississippi - with a population of about 3 million - has had at least 19,516 cases and 891 deaths from the coronavirus as of Saturday evening. That was an increase of 168 cases and two deaths from the numbers reported a day earlier.
The number of coronavirus infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. For others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause severe symptoms and be fatal.
The Health Department said Sunday that at least 2,192 cases of the virus have been confirmed in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, with at least 456 virus-related deaths in those facilities.
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