COVID-19 News
For more detailed information about COVID-19 vaccinations, please visit msdh.ms.gov.
General Resources
- Mississippi Coronavirus Hotline: 877-978-6453
(8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday) - Mississippi State Department of Health Coronavirus Information Page
- Centers for Disease Control Coronavirus Information Page
- What to Expect after Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine
- Centers for Disease Control Coronavirus Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers
- Sign Up for CDC.gov Email Updates
- Mississippi State Government Coronavirus Page
- Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Page
- Mississippi Department of Education Resource Page
- US Department of Homeland Security Pandemic Page
- Genius Scan App Helps Workers at Home Create PDFs Through Mobile Device Camera
- Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Q&A
- MDES Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Page
- University of Mississippi Medical Center Testing Information
- ACT Superscoring and the Impact on MS Financial Aid for MESG or HELP Grants
- Coronavirus Guidance for Better Mental Health
MDES Contact Center Information:
Unemployment claimants should call 601-493-9427 or 601-326-1119 for the following services:
- To file unemployment claims,
- Ask questions about existing claims,
- Password reset assistance, and
- How to file weekly certifications
Claimants should call 601-493-9427 for the following services.
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) or for PUA Assistance
Call: 601-493-9427 for the following services.
- For Unemployment Insurance Tax assistance, and
- To speak with someone in the Benefits Pay Control department regarding over-payment or to report fraud
COVID-19 is a new respiratory virus that causes flu-like illness ranging from mild to severe, with symptoms of fever, coughing, fatigue and difficulty breathing. The CDC and MSDH are working to detect, contain and limit the spread of cases in the U.S. and Mississippi should they occur. MSDH is actively preparing doctors and hospitals on how to respond safely and effectively to COVID-19 in Mississippi.
Like the flu, COVID-19 is thought to be spread person-to-person by close contact (within 6 feet) and by coughing or sneezing. Other possible routes of transmission, such as touching surfaces contaminated by the virus, are also being investigated.
The Mississippi State Department of Health and CDC Community Recommendations Through March 31, 2020:
- Avoid gatherings of more than 10 people.
- Restrict visitation to long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes.
- Discretionary travel and social visits should be avoided.
- Avoid eating or drinking in restaurants, bars, and food courts. Use drive-through, pickup and delivery options.
- If anyone in a household tests positive for the virus, everyone who lives there should stay home.
Even with these new guidelines in place, it is still essential that everyone continues to practice basic preventative measures:
- Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly
- Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose
- Cover your coughs and sneezes
- Clean surfaces and objects that are touched regularly
- Stay home if you do become sick
Employer Resources
- Small Business Administration Coronavirus (COVID-19): Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources
- Butler Snow Information Guide for Employers With In-Office Employees
- Adams & Reese LLP Crisis Response & Preparedness Page
- Mississippi Business Emergency Operations Center
- Mississippi Banks Provide Assistance with CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program Loans
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi COVID-19 Resource Page
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Coronavirus Resource Page
- Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives Crisis Management Center Website
- US Chamber of Commerce Foundation "Resilience in a Box" Resource Page
- US Chamber of Commerce Guide to SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loans
- US Chamber of Commerce Guide to the Employee Retention Tax Credit
- US Chamber of Commerce PPP Guide & Checklist
- US Chamber of Commerce Coronavirus Small Business Guide
- US Chamber of Commerce COVID-19 Emergency Loans: Small Business Guide
- US Chamber of Commerce Guide to the Employee Retention Tax Credit
- US Chamber of Commerce Coronavirus Paid Leave Programs: Employer Guide
- US Chamber of Commerce Coronavirus Response Toolkit
- MS Department of Employment Security Resources for Workers and Businesses on COVID-19
- MS Department of Employment Security FAQ on Filing Unemployment in MS
- Mississippi Bankers Association Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Q&A
- Butler Snow LLP COVID-19 Resource Page
- Mississippi Bankers Association Paycheck
Protection Program (PPP) Loan Q&A - Entergy Mississippi COVID-19 Resource Page
It is important for employers to maintain open lines of communication with their employees. To that end, employers should update contact information for employees if necessary and stay informed of the latest news. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also issued “Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease.” The CDC recommends that employers begin implementing the following steps now:
- Encourage employees with acute respiratory illnesses to stay home;
- Separate sick employees;
- Emphasize cough and sneeze etiquette and hand hygiene;
- Perform routine environmental cleaning;
- Advise employees about the risks prior to travel to countries that have had a significant outbreak; and
- Consider informing employees in the case of possible exposure in the workplace.
The Mississippi State Department of Health and CDC Community Recommendations Through March 31, 2020:
- Avoid gatherings of more than 10 people.
- Restrict visitation to long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes.
- Discretionary travel and social visits should be avoided.
- Avoid eating or drinking in restaurants, bars, and food courts. Use drive-through, pickup and delivery options.
- If anyone in a household tests positive for the virus, everyone who lives there should stay home.
Even with these new guidelines in place, it is still essential that everyone continues to practice basic preventative measures:
- Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly
- Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose
- Cover your coughs and sneezes
- Clean surfaces and objects that are touched regularly
- Stay home if you do become sick
The CDC also recommends that employers create response plans now that the outbreak has reached the United States.
Employers should create response plans that would:
- Provide flexibility and input from employees
- Reduce transmission among staff
- Protect people at higher risk for adverse health complications
- Maintain business operations
- Minimize adverse effects on other entities in their supply chains
- Share best practices
Can your business allow short-term telecommuting? Flexible hours? The cancellation of some or all business travel? Fewer in-person meetings? There is no single answer to these questions for every business.
Can employers require employees to undergo medical examinations?
As noted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in its guidance, “Pandemic Preparedness in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act,” employers may not require medical examinations under the ADA unless the medical exam is job-related and consistent with business necessity. Whether a medical exam is job-related and consistent with business necessity depends upon the facts presented (e.g., what are the employee’s symptoms, where has the employee been, etc.) and the latest CDC guidance on coronavirus.
What actions can employers take in the case of a pandemic?
In the case of a pandemic, employers can send employees home if they show coronavirus-like symptoms at work. Furthermore, employers may ask employees if they are experiencing coronavirus-like symptoms as long as they are mindful of confidentiality obligations. Finally, if an employee returns from traveling during a pandemic, an employer may ask the employee whether they are returning from a location where that individual may have been exposed to the virus.
Obviously, this is an evolving issue. The businesses that plan for it will be in a better position to deal with it if it becomes a crisis in the United States.