Mississippi governor says daughter is ‘recovering well’ from COVID-19

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeve (R) said Thursday that his daughter is “recovering” after testing positive for COVID-19 two days earlier.

During a coronavirus briefing session held via Facebook Live, the governor told viewers that his 8-year-old daughter Maddie had initially tested negative a day earlier before receiving Tuesday’s positive test results.

“I do want to give you a brief update that Maddie is recovering well, she is feeling OK. She is certainly, along with her mom and dad, very, very grateful for all of your prayers,” Reeves said Thursday.

Reeves initially disclosed his daughter’s illness in a statement Tuesday, telling his social media followers that his daughter “feels OK, but could still use prayers! Please pray for her momma too!”

“Elee and our other girls tested negative again,” he added the same day. “So did I. Since Maddie also had a negative test as recently as yesterday we’re going to monitor closely and be cautious. I’ve heard and felt the outpouring of prayers, and they mean the world to Maddie and all of us!”

Quick update: Elee and our other girls tested negative again. So did I. Since Maddie also had a negative test as recently as yesterday we’re going to monitor closely and be cautious. I’ve heard and felt the outpouring of prayers, and they mean the world to Maddie and all of us!

— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) November 11, 2020

Reeves’s update comes as Mississippi has faced a rising rate of new COVID-19 cases in recent days along with most other states, averaging more than 1,000 new cases per day over the past week.

Mississippi’s state health officer said Thursday that hospitals in Jackson, the capital city, were out of ICU beds while few others remained open in the state, a sign that the state’s health care system could soon be overwhelmed by cases.