Canton epicenter of local cases, data show

Many of the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Madison County are concentrated in the northern part of the county, particularly in the city of Canton, newly-released data from the Mississippi Department of Health show.

Among the four nursing homes the state named as sites of outbreaks in long-term care facilities, a large majority were found in Canton Manor, a retirement home on East Tisdale Avenue.

Data show Canton Manor, which has 132 beds, accounts for 52 of the 90 cases among residents of long-term care facilities in the county and 21 of the 43 cases among workers at such facilities. Three of the facility's residents have succumbed to the virus.

The other nursing homes listed in the report include St. Catherine's Village in Madison (13 employee cases, 17 resident cases, five resident deaths), The Blake at Township in Ridgeland (six employee cases, 21 resident cases, two resident deaths) and The Nichols Center in Madison (three employee cases).

Canton Mayor William Truly said earlier this week that outside of the nursing home cases, the city also accounts for a large portion of the county's overall number of confirmed cases.

"Yes — Madison County consists of Flora, Gluckstadt, Madison and Ridgeland as well," Truly said. "But most of the cases (in the county) are here in our community, right here in Canton, and we have to stop it. We have to do better."

Truly suggested the city would take steps to stop the spread if the numbers continue to rise. He said that action included, but was not limited to, requiring businesses to refuse service to unmasked customers. Truly did not offer a time-table for possible action from the city.

"Right now, I'm asking mothers and fathers to have conversations with their children about social gatherings," he said. "The human body serves as a bridge for transmitting the virus. Your son or daughter can easily bring this home to you… We really have to be careful, or we're going to have to enact new policies to break this cycle."



Truly also implored Cantonians to call the fire or police department if they observed social gatherings that were larger than the CDC's suggested size of 20 people or less where social distancing was impossible, saying he'd rather have constituents mad at him than see the number of cases continue to rise.

Overall, Madison County added 86 confirmed cases in the past week, bringing the total since March 11 to 843. The county now has the second-most infections of any county in the state behind Hinds County, which has reported 1,206 cases.

The death toll from the virus in Madison County reached 30 on Wednesday.

Black residents account for 497 confirmed cases (59 percent) here. Statewide, Mississippi has now confirmed 18,483 cases and 868 deaths. the onset of the pandemic.

To date, 223,195 Mississippians have been tested for the virus, with 8.28 percent receiving a positive result. State health officials now estimate that 13,356 residents are presumed to have recovered.