Gov. Tate Reeves is rushing to declare victory in the fight against COVID-19 in Mississippi for the third time. His apparent determination to lift the last social restrictions on April 30 runs the real risk of a Final Wave in May and June, which will likely prolong the pandemic well into the summer. That last 10% would mean another 30,000 new infections and approximately 750 deaths. Such should not be considered “acceptable” or merely “manageable.”
Douglas B. Chambers
Douglas B. Chambers, Ph.D., is an associate professor of history at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he has taught since 1999. He is the author of several books and over 20 scholarly essays, and is a former executive editor of the Southern Quarterly (2005-2011). In 2017 the Mississippi Historical Society recognized his research with an Award of Merit. He has been following COVID-19 in Mississippi closely since March 11, 2020. The opinions expressed in this essay in no way represent USM, its administration, faculty, staff or students.
