Persisting freezing temperatures and unsafe driving conditions, along with other lingering effects of Winter Storm Fern, have prompted officials to close local health departments in 39 counties on Tuesday. That number dropped from 54 closures on Monday.
The Mississippi State Department of Health is temporarily suspending operations at locations in the following counties until it is safe to resume:
Alcorn, Attala, Benton, Bolivar, Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clay, Coahoma, DeSoto, Grenada, Holmes, Humphreys, Itawamba, Lafayette, Lee, Leflore, Lowndes, Marshall, Monroe, Montgomery, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Panola, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Quitman, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Tunica, Union, Washington, Webster, Winston, and Yalobusha.
“The safety of the public and our staff is our top priority. This is an ongoing situation, and we encourage everyone to monitor the MSDH website, social media channels, and mobile app for updates,” a release from the state health department reads.
All other county health departments and MSDH offices, including the office of vital records, will be open for normal business hours and operations, officials confirm.