Please take our warnings seriously. Please do not give up.

I have a real fear that I�ve been trying to communicate from the beginning. I hope people are listening. Across the country, these social distancing measures have been like strict diets. People can�t sustain them for a long time. And when they start to reach a breaking point, they go right for the chocolate cake. They give up on the mission, rather than ease up on the measures. Whatever we do has to be sustainable, or it will do more harm than good.

That�s why we are working to give people some semblance of normalcy. I can�t have our people lose morale and give up, or we will see things get far worse no matter what I order.

Please do not give up. We need you to stay smart. We need you to stay strong. You are needed.

I�m tired of all of this too. I�m ready to get back to life as normal. Neither you or I can snap our fingers and make it so. What we can do is try to work together to help make things better. Make them a little safer. Make them a little more normal with kindness for your neighbors.

You�ve been doing that. I see it. We all see it. Mississippians are helping Mississippians. It brings me joy, in a dark time, to hear your stories of compassion and resilience.

I really believe that we are containing this as much as we possibly can. Do not mistake my hope and pride in the people of Mississippi for a belief that this cannot get worse. Do not confuse my belief that our strategy is strong with the notion that COVID-19 cannot kill your loved ones.

I trust you. I trust that you are doing the right thing in the face of tremendous pressure. That�s why this has not been worse to this point.

I�m not lecturing or telling you what to do. I�m asking you, as a fellow Mississippian and American, please do not give up or give in. Stay in the fight. Take care of one another. Please continue to pray�I believe in the power of prayer.