UNEMPLOYMENT SERVICES If you have suddenly found yourself out of work due to the pandemic, you can move forward with filing for unemployment benefits through the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. To create an account and file for benefits, click here. FGH BLOOD DRIVE Due to the overwhelming response to today’s blood drive at Forrest General, additional days and sites have...
CITY OF HATTIESBURG NEWS
Governor Reeves Issues Order for Schools to Close Until April 17
On Thursday, March 19, Governor Reeves announced that all public schools will be closed until April 17. Please be patient with our school districts as they adjust their calendars and processes to reflect this and as they communicate with parents. This will allow them some time to figure out the logistics so they can give the best answers to questions...
March 18 Updates
Small Business Disaster Declaration On Tuesday, March 17, Governor Reeves requested a disaster declaration by the U.S. Small Business Administration to help small businesses and nonprofits who expect to feel a drastic impact on their business from COVID-19. To begin collecting data for the need, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has created an estimate of disaster impact worksheet that all small...
Hattiesburg Addresses City Operations, Court Protocols and Business Guidelines Amid COVID-19
Hattiesburg, Mississippi – On Tuesday, Mayor Toby Barker was joined by city officials, community leaders and Forrest General’s Dr. Steven Farrell and Dr. Rambod Rouhbakhsh to discuss city operations, court procedures and recent developments for business guidelines. Barker stated, “Monitoring COVID-19 comes with many steps and factors – including listening to the medical community, meeting with stakeholder groups from the...
Forrest General and Hattiesburg Clinic Open Cough + Fever Clinic
From Forrest General Hospital Hattiesburg, Mississippi – Forrest General Hospital and Hattiesburg Clinic have announced the creation of a cough and fever clinic in an effort to stop the coronavirus from spreading. On Wednesday, March 18th, the Cloverleaf Immediate Care facility located at 5909 Highway 49 South (located adjacent to Wal-Mart) will be converted to a clinic to assess patients with...
March 15 – Daily Update
This morning, Mayor Toby Barker reiterated two actions that will continue to limit the potential spread of COVID-19. 1. If you don’t have an emergency need, do not go to the emergency room. This ties up critical emergency services and can cause an overload on our health care system. IF you have symptoms (fever, cough + shortness of breath), CALL...
Hattiesburg and Forrest County Declare Local Emergency for COVID-19
Hattiesburg, Mississippi – Following the lead of the federal government on Friday afternoon, Forrest County Board of Supervisor President David Hogan and Mayor Toby Barker both signed documents declaring the response to COVID-19 a local emergency, which has been categorized as a pandemic event, for both Forrest County and the City of Hattiesburg. This declaration will allow for the use...
MSDH Confirms Second and Third Case for Forrest County
From the Mississippi Department of Health Jackson, Mississippi — Today the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) reports the second and third presumptive positive cases of coronavirus or COVID-19 in Mississippi. Final verification will come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One case is a Forrest County adult female over 65 who recently traveled to North Carolina. The patient...
Mayor Toby Barker Pens Letter to Students
Below is a letter from Mayor Toby Barker to students considering Spring Break travel. To our university students, I do not count this as parental advice, as I am not nearly old enough – at least in my mind – to have children in college. So let’s just put me in the “real talk with your cool old brother” category....
FGH Hosts Press Conference to Discuss First Case and Response
From Forrest General Hospital Hattiesburg, Mississippi — The first case of COVID-19 in the state was discussed during a press conference on Thursday at Forrest General Hospital. The State Department of Health confirmed on Wednesday that a 49-year-old Forrest County male resident had tested positive for the virus. At the press conference, Dr. Steve Farrell, chief medical officer for Forrest Health,...
Hattiesburg Discusses COVID-19 with Stakeholders and Restricts Travel
Hattiesburg, Mississippi – While there are no confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Mississippi, Mayor Toby Barker convened with external stakeholders in the medical, education and emergency management communities on Monday, March 9 to discuss potential impacts and plans related to coronavirus. On Tuesday, March 10, the City of Hattiesburg’s administrative team issued a memo to employees restricting out of...
MS Department of Health Reports First Case of COVID-19 in Forrest County
From the Mississippi Department of Health Jackson, Mississippi — Tonight the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) reports its first presumptive positive case of coronavirus or COVID-19. Final verification will come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs will release additional information and guidelines to Mississippians at an 11:00 press conference tomorrow morning....