Mississippi has seen the worst case numbers of COVID-19 over the past week since the pandemic began in March 2020.
The state is averaging 2,700 positive reported cases a day as the Delta variant continues to spread. This morning Mississippi Department of Health announced 5,023 new confirmed cases, the largest number of single-day cases since the beginning of the pandemic. It’s the second time this week that record has been broken. State Health Official Dr. Thomas Dobbs said if someone contracts COVID-19 at this time in Mississippi, it is more than likely the Delta variant.
“This is far higher than ever in any previous peak we’ve seen throughout the pandemic,” Dobbs said. “When looking at hospitalizations we have just now surpassed the worst of the winter.”
No Intensive Care Unit beds are available throughout the state according to the MSDH, causing some patients to be transported back and forth across Mississippi to different hospitals.
According to the Mississippi State Department of Health’s website, the state has seen 20,069 positive cases throughout the last week, bringing its total case number to 376,124. Ninety-seven percent of these new cases came from unvaccinated individuals, Dobbs said.
The state saw 117 new deaths occur from COVID-19, totaling to 7,730 deaths caused by the virus. Approximately 2.1 million doses of the vaccine have been administered with 998,089 fully vaccinated, making 33 percent of Mississippians vaccinated.
Over the last week, Lowndes County has seen 478 cases, totaling its case number at 7,792. The county has only had one new death since last Friday, bringing the death total to 153. In Lowndes, 41,667 doses of the vaccine have been administered with 19,657 fully vaccinated, making the county’s vaccination percentage 34 percent.
Oktibbeha County has had 288 positive cases reported the past week, bringing its case total to 5,421. There have been no new deaths in the county, keeping the death number for Oktibbeha County at 98. There have been 41,326 doses of the vaccination administered to Oktibbeha County residents with 19,749 fully vaccinated, bringing its vaccination rate to 40 percent.
Clay County has had a total of 126 cases and one death over the last week, totaling 2,193 cases and 55 deaths. Just under 13,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered with 6,207 fully vaccinated. Thirty-two percent of Clay County residents are vaccinated.
Only 59 cases were reported in Noxubee County over the last week, bringing its case total to 1,437. No new deaths were reported in Noxubee County with its death number remaining at 35. There have been 8,348 total doses of the vaccine administered with 4,109 fully vaccinated, making 39 percent of Noxubee County residents vaccinated.
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