City leaders stress safety on Labor Day

During Blytheville Mayor James Sanders’ Wednesday COVID-19 press conference, city leaders stressed the importance of practicing safety to prevent an outbreak during Labor day.

Blytheville Fire Chief Mike Carney said, “Whenever there are large gatherings, case numbers start to go up. This weekend, please don’t let your guard down. I know people are going to have gatherings, obviously the large gatherings are going to keep happening. Let’s use our PPE precautions.”

Carney reiterated the importance of wearing face masks, handwashing, and social distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Carney added, “Our lives have changed but we have to be responsible, people with underlying conditions and the elderly are the most vulnerable.”

Mayor Sanders said, “Enjoy your holiday but remember to be safe if you’re going to gather and understand that these are our loved ones we are talking about.”

As of Friday, there were 104 active cases in Mississippi County, and there have been 31 deaths related to COVID-19.

There have been 1,388 total positives, 1,253 recoveries and 9,536 negative test results. Currently, Craighead County has 275 active cases, 1,958 total positive results, 1,667 recoveries, 16 deaths and 24,288 negatives. Meanwhile, Poinsett County has 90 active cases, 503 total positives, 407 recoveries, six deaths and 5,757 negatives.