Lawmakers in Mississippi recently wrapped up another legislative session. It ended up being an exceptionally remarkable one. Among the bills passed was one to change the state flag, doing away with the Confederate imagery.

But sights from the legislative session were concerning to many. As noted by Stars and Stripes, lawmakers were often huddled close together without wearing masks: a horrifying thought for many people in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. And it seems like the consequences have started to play out.

At least eight confirmed cases, many more suspected

An outbreak of the novel Coronavirus has been spreading among high-ranking Mississippi officials. Officially, there are at least eight confirmed as having COVID-19. Not all of them have been publicly identified so far. ABC reports that there are several other suspected cases among elected officials and other state employees. The Mississippi State Department of Health held drive-thru testing for legislators and state employees on Monday.

Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann is among the officials confirmed to have contracted COVID-19. Hosemann sent word to the Mississippi State Senate about his condition. A spokeswoman for Hosemann, Leah Rupp Smith, said he would be self-quarantining and working from home.

A Republican, Hosemann became the lieutenant governor earlier this year. He'd previously been Mississippi's secretary of state for more than a decade.

State House Speaker Philip Gunn also announced that he'd tested positive. A former football player at Baylor University in Texas, Gunn first joined the House in 2004. He became the speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives in 2012.

It marked the first time since the Reconstruction Era that a Republican has held the position.

Another Republican state representative in Greg Haney is also confirmed to be among the eight. Haney represents the Gulfport area. The outbreak is not just confirmed to Republicans. Democrat Bo Brown, elected from the Jackson region, is also confirmed to be COVID-19 positive.

Governor Tate Reeves is in self-isolation

Tate Reeves, Mississippi's governor, has gone into self-isolation since announcements started being made. Reeves, along with his wife and children have all since undergone COVID-19 testing. Apparently, they've all come back as being negative. But, Reeves is reportedly still opting to quarantine out of an abundance of caution.

Reeves was recently seen in close contact with both Hosemann and Gunn. They were all present when Reeves signed the bill that the legislature passed regarding changing the state flag. None of the three were seen wearing a mask at the ceremony.

The Republican Reeves also took office earlier this year. He had been the lieutenant governor previously. He'd also been the state's treasurer before that.
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