More than two dozen schools in 14 of Mississippi’s 82 counties have reported cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus in either students or employees, the state reported Tuesday.

In total 27 different schools have reported 42 different positive coronavirus cases, Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas said.

Of those 42 cases, 25 are students and 17 are employees at the schools, Dobbs said.

The counties where cases have been reported include: Webster,  Tippah, Tate, Pontotoc, Forrest, Jones, Winston, Jackson, Holmes, Grenada, Chickasaw, Lowndes, Pearl River and Union counties.

Of interest to Mississippi parents, Dobbs said so far none of those cases appear to have been contracted by transmission at state schools, but instead the infected staff and students came to school already carrying the virus.

“If we look at where kids are getting it, still now, it’s they’re bringing it with them. We don’t have any evidence of transmission within a school, not yet.”

“My message to parents and to church leaders is please, please don’t do unnecessary stuff outside of school,” Dobbs said. “That’s what’s going to really be our Achiles’ heel, it has been the whole time, are these sort of social family get together where we have groups of people.”

“Please, do the social distancing thing, wear a mask … don’t let your guard down.”