2020 coronavirus pandemic

March

 * March 11 - Mississippi had its first positive test for COVID-19 after a man tested positive in Forrest county after returning from Florida
 * March 12 - USM announced it was extending spring break until March 27, after which classes would resume on March 30 in an online-only format
 * March 13 - 6 total cases in Mississippi; The Hattiesburg government issued an order that bars and restaurants reduce their capacity by half, and crowds larger than 50 people were not allowed
 * March 14 - Gov. Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency for Mississippi
 * March 15 - 10 cases; Many churches began streaming online services exclusively instead of having in-person services
 * March 16 - 12 cases
 * March 17 - 21 cases
 * March 18 - 34 cases; Forrest General Hospital and Hattiesburg Clinic opened a walk-in cough and fever clinic at the Cloverleaf Immediate Care
 * March 19 - 50 cases; A Mississippi man died in a Louisiana hospital, becoming the first Mississippian to die from COVID-19
 * March 20 - 80 cases; The Mississippi Department of Health issued a recommendation that all bars and restaurants stop their dine-in services
 * March 21 - 140 cases; The Forrest county and Hattiesburg governments ordered all bars and restaurants to stop their dine-in services
 * March 22 - 207 cases
 * March 23 - 249 cases
 * March 24 - 320 cases; Gov. Reeves issued an executive order saying Mississippians must avoid groups of 10 or larger, and bars and restaurants across the state must close their dine-in services; Mayor Toby Barker issued an executive order limiting the number of people in essential retail stores and limiting nonessential retail stores to curb-side and pickup only
 * March 25 - 377 cases; five total deaths in Mississippi were reported
 * March 26 - 485 cases
 * March 27 - 579 cases
 * March 28 - 663 cases
 * March 29 - 758 cases
 * March 30 - 847 cases
 * March 31 - 937 cases

April

 * April 1 - 1073 cases; Gov. Reeves issued a "shelter-in-place" order effective April 3 at 5:00 PM; Forrest General Hospital reported its first death from COVID-19
 * April 2 - 1177 cases; Lamar county passed an order authorized law enforcement to arrest and fine anyone violating the statewide shelter-in-place order
 * April 3 - 1358 cases; the shelter-in-place order went into effect at 5:00 PM
 * April 4 - 1455 cases
 * April 5 - 1638 cases
 * April 6 - 1738 cases
 * April 7 - 1915 cases
 * April 8 - 2003 cases; Mayor Toby Barker issued an executive order requiring all employees of any business to wear a face mask, effective April 10 at 5:00 PM
 * April 9 - 2260 cases
 * April 10 - 2469 cases; Forrest General Hospital announced it was now able to do in-house testing for COVID-19; Forrest county issued an order requiring all employees of any business to wear a face mask, similar to the Hattiesburg order
 * April 11 - 2642 cases
 * April 12 - 2781 cases
 * April 13 - 2942 cases; 105 cases in Forrest county and and 38 in Lamar county
 * April 14 - 3087 cases; 111 total deaths reported; Gov. Reeves announced that schools would remain closed for the rest of the semester
 * April 15 - 3360 cases
 * April 16 - 3624 cases
 * April 17 - 3793 cases; Gov. Reeves extended the shelter-in-place order, set to expire April 20, another week to April 27
 * April 18 - 3974 cases
 * April 19 - 4274 cases
 * April 20 - 4512 cases
 * April 21 - 4716 cases
 * April 22 - 4894 cases; Mayor Barker announced a 40-member working group to help advise during the reopening of businesses as shelter-in-place restrictions are lifted
 * April 23 - 5153 cases; 201 total deaths
 * April 24 - 5434 total cases reported; Gov. Reeves extended the shelter-in-place order, but loosened some restrictions, such as allowing certain non-essential businesses to reopen and retail stores to open at 50% capacity