BREAKING NEWS TUNING IN ACROSS
THE STATE OF MISSISSIP WE
OBVIOUSLY HAD GORGEOUS WEATHER
IN OUR STATE THIS WEEKEND, AND I
HOPE MANY OF YOU HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO GET OUT AND ENJOY
SOME FRESH AIR AND DOING SO IN A
RESPONSIBLE WAY WHILE SOCIAL
DISTANCING BECAUSE WHAT WE KNOW
IS THAT WE ARE STILL IN THIS
FIGHT.
THE LAST TIME I WAS BEFORE YOU
WE HAD COME OFF A DAY IN WHICH
WE HAD FOR THE FIRST TIME AND
NOW ONLY TIME EVER OVER 400 NEW
CASES REPORTED ON FRIDAY MORNING
OVER THE EACH OF THE LAST THREE
DAYS.
THOSE NUMBERS HAVE COME DOWN
CONSIDERABLY.
RELATIVE TO THAT PEAK ON
THURSDAY, BUT AGAIN JUST BECAUSE
THE NUMBERS ARE NOT AS HIGH ON A
PARTICULAR DAY.
WE’RE NOT GOING TO CELEBRATE
JUST LIKE WHEN THE NUMBERS ARE
HIGH ON A PARTICULAR DAY.
WE’RE NOT GOING TO PANIC.
WE’RE GOING TO LOOK AT LONG-TERM
TRENDS.
WE’RE GOING TO AVERAGE BOTH ON A
THREE DAY BASIS A FIVE-DAY A
SEVEN-DAY ROLLING BASIS SO THAT
WE HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING
BECAUSE WE REALIZE AND WE KNOW
THAT DIFFERENT THINGS AFFECT
DAILY NUMBER OF NEW TESTING
RESULTS INCLUDING DATA DUMPS
FROM TESTING SITES DATA DUMPS
FROM OUT OF STATE TESTING SITES
AS WELL AS OTHER FACTORS THAT
COME INTO PLAY SO THE END RESULT
IS TODAY ON MONDAY IN SPITE OF
THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT CAME IN
OVER THE WEEKEND.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WE ARE
STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS
FIGHT.
WE STILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT
CHALLENGES BEFORE US.
AND WE AS MISSISSIPPIANS HAVE
THE RESPONSIBILITY.
STAND UP TO DO RIGHT TO TAKE
CARE OF YOURSELF TO STAY STRONG
IN THE FACE OF UNPRECEDENTED
ACTION AND RECOGNIZE THAT WE
BELIEVE WE CAN BOTH PROTECT THE
PUBLIC HEALTH OF ALL
MISSISSIPPIANS WHILE AT THE SAME
TIME RECOGNIZING THAT WE HAVE
REAL CHALLENGES FROM AN ECONOMIC
STANDPOINT IN THIS STATE AND IN
THIS COUNTRY.
WHEN WE ALLOW BUSINESSES TO
REOPEN IT IS NOT BECAUSE THE
RISK IS COMPLETELY GONE.
IF ANYTHING IT MEANS THAT YOU
NEED TO TAKE THINGS EVEN MORE
SERIOUSLY.
YOU NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT
ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF
YOURSELF.
OF YOUR FAMILY AND OF YOUR
FELLOW MISSISSIPPIANS, YOU NEED
TO TAKE EXTRA STEPS TO KEEP YOUR
FRIENDS SAFE AND EXTRA STEPS TO
TAKE TO KEEP YOUR NEIGHBORS
SAFE.
NOW WHILE WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE
CANNOT ASK SMALL BUSINESSES AND
THEIR WORKERS TO SACRIFICE THEIR
LIFE’S WORK.
I CONTINUE TO ASK ALL OF YOU TO
TAKE THIS DEATHLY VIRUS
SERIOUSLY.
TODAY, I SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE
ORDER RELATED TO MISSISSIPPI’S
UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM.
MOST OF IT IS VERY TECHNICAL,
BUT IT ALSO AFFIRMS THAT
MISSISSIPPI IS GOING TO HAVE TO
CONTINUE TO EVALUATE AND
INTERPRET ABLE TO WORK IN THE
FACE OF THIS NEW THREAT.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT YOU MUST
UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU ARE
CURRENTLY UNEMPLOYED DUE TO
COVID-19.
AND IF YOUR EMPLOYER CALLS YOU
BACK TO WORK.
I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU GO
DO SO FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
IT IS TRUE THAT UNDER STATE LAW.
THAT IF YOU WERE TO CHOOSE NOT
TO GO BACK TO WORK YOU COULD
BECOME INELIGIBLE FOR THOSE
STATE ENEFITS.
BUT ALSO UNDERSTAND THESE SIX
HUNDRED DOLLARS A WEEK IN
PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE
GOES AWAY HE GOES AWAY IN JULY.
SO YOU MAY SAY WELL THAT’S OKAY.
I’LL FIGURE IT OUT IN JULY.
THE FACT IS THIS IMMEDIATE
ECONOMIC DISASTER THAT IS
UNFOLDING RIGHT NOW.
ISRA IF BUSINESSES TRY TO
REOPEN AND CANNOT FIND THE
WORKFORCE.
TO REOPEN IT IS VERY POSSIBLE.
IF NOT LIKELY THAT THAT BUSINESS
IS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT.
IT IS VERY POSSIBLE.
IF NOT LIKELY THAT WHEN YOU
DECIDE IN JUNE OR JULY OR AUGUST
TO GO BACK TO WORK.
DID THAT JOB THAT YOU ARE
ACCUSTOMED TO WILL NOT BE THERE.
REMEMBER WHEN THOS ENDEMIC
UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE BENEFITS
GO AWAY.
THE MAXIMUM STATE BENEFIT ON
UNEMPLOYMENT IS 230 DOLLARS A
WEEK MANY ON UNEMPLOYMENT
ASSISTANCE MAKE MUCH LESS THAN
TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY DOLLARS A
WEEK.
THEREFORE I AM IMPLORE EVERY
MISSISSIPPI.
IT HAS THESE SMALL BUSINESSES
REOPENED.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK TO WORK.
ALSO WANT TO RAISE THE FLAG TO
WARN EVERYONE ABOUT WHAT I FEAR
COULD BE A SECOND WAVE OF OUR
ECONOMIC CRISIS.
AS WE THINK ABOUT WHERE WE FIND
OURSELVES TODAY.
UNDERSTAND THAT MANY MANY
BUSINESSES IN OUR STATE.
CONTINUE TO WORK MANUFACTURI
CONSTRUCTION NEVER CLOSED IN
MISSISSIPPI THEY DID THEY STAYED
OPEN AND I RESPONSIBLE
REASONABLE WAY.
THEY DID GOOD THINGS AND THAT’S
SOMETHING THAT I’M PROUD OF THEM
FOR.
BUT ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT AS
GLOBAL DEMAND AS WE MOVE INTO
THE SUMMER AND FALL MAY BE
REDUCED.
DEER OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESSES
IN MISSISSIPPI WHO PRODUCE
PRODUCT AND SHIP IT TO OTHER
STATES AND SHIP IT TO OTHER
COUNTRIES MAY ALSO SEE THEIR
DEMAND BE REDUCED.
AND SO WE HAVE TO BE SURE THAT
AS WE MOVE INTO THE REOPENING OF
THOSE PHASES OF OUR ECONOMY THAT
HAVE BEEN CLOSED THAT WE DO
EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO MAKE
SURE THAT THEY CAN RETURN WITH
THE WORKFORCE THAT THEY NEED SO
THAT THEY CAN PRODUCE NOT ONLY
FOR THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES BUT
ALSO FOR THE WORKERS AND THEIR
FAMILIES.
WE ARE GOING TO DO IN THIS
PROCESS EVERYTHING WE CAN TO
ACCOMMODATE THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE
MOST AT RISK.
BUT WE CANNOT ALLOW.
HISTORICALLY HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT
BENEFITS THAT MAY COME CRASHING
DOWN AT SOME POINT.
TO PUT YOU IN A POSITION WHERE
YOU CANNOT PROVIDE FOR YOUR
FAMILY NOT JUST FOR THE NEXT
COUPLE OF WEEKS OR MONTHS, BUT
FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS AND
YEARS THERE IS REALLY NO
GOVERNMENT REPLACEMENT FOR A JOB
KNOW MOST MISSISSIPPIANS ARE
READY AND EAGER TO GET BACK TO
WORK.
PLEASE DO NOT LET THE WINDOW
PASS YOU BY IF YOU ARE LUCKY
ENOUGH TO GET AN OFFER TO COME
BACK TO YOUR JOB OR TO EARN A
LIVING.
PLEASE DO NOT REJECT IT.
I DO NOT WANT YOU TO WAKE UP IN
AUGUST WITH NO JOB TO RETURN TO.
I KNOW THAT I’VE HEARD FROM SO
MANY OF YOU OVER THE LAST
SEVERAL WEEKS.
JUST ITCHING TO GET BACK TO
WORK.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE ABLE TO
DO SO TODAY BECAUSE OF THE
DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.
PROUD OF YOU KNOW YOU I KNOW IT
WAS TOUGH.
I KNOW IT WAS TOUGH FOR WEEKS ON
IN.
BUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE WILL
CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THE PUBLIC
HEALTH CRISIS BEFORE US AND
UNDERSTAND THAT WE’RE A
