Mississippi to name nursing homes with COVID-19 outbreaks

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – The Mississippi State Department of Health says it will start releasing the names of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities where people have tested positive for the new coronavirus.

The action comes only after a newspaper sued the department.

A Hinds County chancery court judge ruled that the department must respond to a public records request filed by the Pine Belt News, based in Hattiesburg.

Other news organizations had also sought the information.

The Health Department said Tuesday that Mississippi has had at least 16,020 confirmed cases and 767 deaths from the coronavirus.

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