Dear Friend,
Tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. CT, the Under Secretary for Benefits will host a tele-townhall for Mississippi veterans to learn more about the Blue Water Navy
Act and the Solid Start program. Veterans can call 833-380-0417 to join the discussion. This is an exclusive event for veterans and their family
members. Attendees will be able to learn more about each subject area by following the instructions for prompts on the call.
Schools Start Planning to Reopen
The coronavirus pandemic has created an American system where homes have turned into places of work, childcare centers, and schools. As we continue
the process of reopening our economy, we should prepare for the reopening of our school system as well. Children will miss important social, emotional,
and academic development opportunities if we are forced to keep our schools closed, and we must not sacrifice the futures of our children if we
can reopen our schools safely. As a resident of Brandon, I have been working with the Rankin County School Reopening Task Force and other elected
officials to better understand how we can safely reopen our schools. However, I am also working in Congress to ensure that schools across our nation
have the resources they need to transition into a new normal. As our schools open, we must employ testing and monitoring to stop the further spread
of COVID-19. We can continue to fight this outbreak without sacrificing the education of our children.
Experts agree. The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) “strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the upcoming school year should start with a goal of having students physically present
in school.” AAP studies found that the 2020 school closures are already likely to cause negative impacts on learning and many children are now
at higher risks to develop anxiety or depression. Experts even argue that, due to the negative factors of staying home, the safest place for some children during a pandemic is at school.
We have all made sacrifices during this time. However, one thing we cannot sacrifice is the future of our children. As we begin a new school year and
look to reopen our schools, we will continue to work to see that our educators are trained and equipped to keep our greatest asset “our children”
safe.
More Calls to Defund the Police
Democrats are continuing to call for defunding the police. The latest legislation from the far-left Democrats Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Rep. Ayanna Pressley
calls for defunding the police, abolishing ICE, and decriminalizing illegal immigration. If you recall the radical Green New Deal proposal, it
should come as no surprise that their legislation doesn’t stop at defunding the police. In their proposal, they also call for closing jails and
prisons, eliminating critical intelligent databases needed to fight gang violence, and providing free education to undocumented immigrants, .
Last month, Senate Democrats blocked meaningful police reform introduced by Senator Tim Scott. Instead of working on bipartisan legislation, Democrats have retreated to their extremist corner and proposed
legislation that will achieve support from Republicans.
COVID-19 Testing Sites and Resources
Individuals experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or who have had a known exposure to someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus can receive an appointment
for free COVID-19 testing by completing the online questionnaire found at umc.edu/covidscreening or by contacting
the UMMC Center for Telehealth at (601) 496-7200 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Anyone determined to need testing will be given an appointment
date and time at the testing site most convenient. The testing site in Jackson has moved from the Mississippi State Fairgrounds to the West Street
Farmers Market on Woodrow Wilson Avenue and is available from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day, except for Sunday.
- July 9th – Copiah County: Copiah County Safe Room, 1060 Epps Lane, Hazlehurst
- July 9th – Marshall County: Marshall County Fairgrounds, 1569 Mississippi 7 North, Holly Springs
- July 10th – Kemper County: Kemper County High School, 200 Martin Luther King Jr. St., DeKalb
- July 10th – Madison County: Canton Multi-Purpose Complex, 501 Soldiers Colony Road, Canton
- July 11th – Jones County: Shady Grove Community Center, 4524 Highway 15 North, Laurel
- July 11th – Winston County: Louisville Coliseum, 245 Ivy Ave., Louisville
I have compiled a list of resources on my website for your convenience. By visiting my Coronavirus Relief page,
you can find helpful information on managing this crisis. We will continue to update the page as more information becomes available, so be sure
to check back every few days and subscribe to my newsletter to receive updates.
Latest Statistics
As of Wednesday, July 8th, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 2,982,900 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the United States. From Tuesday to Wednesday, we saw 50,304 additional cases. The number
of individuals who have passed away as a result of infection increased by 932 nationwide, and the total number of deaths in the U.S. from the virus
is now 131,065.
As reported today, an additional 674 Mississippians have contracted the coronavirus, and 30 more Mississippians passed away from the virus. In total,
327,087 Mississippians have been tested for COVID-19, and 22,167 COVID-19 cases are presumed to have recovered. See below for graphs and infographics
from the Mississippi State Department of Health on the number of cases in Mississippi.
Sincerely,
Michael Guest
Member of Congress
