Mississippi reports largest single-day COVID-19 death toll, including 3 on the Coast
The state health department on Friday reported 52 deaths from COVID-19, including three in South Mississippi, for the state’s biggest single-day death toll this year.
Two of the deaths on the Coast were reported in Harrison County and the other was in Pearl River County.
There have been 1,663 deaths in Mississippi since the state first started reporting numbers on the coronavirus on March 11. Of that total, 581 have been reported in the month of July.
Over just the last two days, Mississippi has reported 100 COVID-19 deaths.
A chart by the health department, which announced 1,168 new cases on Friday, shows that 989 people are hospitalized with confirmed cases of the coronavirus — a new high for the state. Another 240 were in the hospital with suspected cases.
There were 297 COVID-19 patients in intensive care and 176 on ventilators — two stats that have mostly remained steady over the last three days.
Harrison County had the most new cases in South Mississippi on Friday, reporting 66 to give the county 2,048 for the year.
The number of long-term care facilities dealing with current COVID-19 outbreaks is 201.
An outbreak involves one or more cases among staff or residents inside a long-term care facility.
Total cases in South Mississippi:
George — 525 (8 new)
Hancock — 323 (13 new)
Harrison — 2,048 (66 new)
Jackson — 1,837 (17 new)
Pearl River — 471 (9 new)
Stone — 144 (6 new)
Drive-up testing on the Coast
Memorial hospital will be holding drive-up COVID-19 screening and testing sites on Aug. 5 and Aug. 13 in Harrison County.
On Aug. 5, testing will take place 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Biloxi Civic Center.
The Aug. 13 testing site will be held 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the D’Iberville Community Center.
People are urged to visit the drive-up site if they have been experiencing flu-like symptoms: body aches, fever, coughing, sneezing, chills or shortness of breath. Sick individuals are asked to stay in their vehicles and wait for assistance. Social distancing will be observed.
Only people that meet medical criteria during the screening process will be tested for COVID-19.
