Over 1,200 new COVID-19 cases reported in MS. Few ICU beds open at Coast hospitals.
For a second day in a row, Mississippi reported more than 1,200 new COVID-19 cases. The state health department said Thursday there were 1,271 new cases and 17 deaths.
In South Mississippi’s six counties, there were 144 new cases and three new deaths: one in Hancock County and two in Harrison County.
The new Coast deaths brought a grim milestone to Harrison County. It has now reported 100 deaths due to COVID-19. Jackson County has reported the highest number of COVID-19 deaths in south Mississippi, with 103.
The high case figures come as State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs has sounded the alarm over a growing strain on hospital beds, and as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches.
“Zero ICU beds in Jackson,” Dobbs tweeted Thursday morning. “Very few elsewhere.”
Only 14 of 71 ICU beds are available at four Coast hospitals that treat COVID-19 patients. As of Thursday, there are 24 COVID-19 patients being treated at Memorial, Singing River, Merit and Gulf Park.
Lee Bond, CEO of Singing River Health System, urged non-healthcare professionals to contribute to the fight by social distancing as much as possible, staying home when experiencing even the slightest symptom, and getting a flue shot.
The number of patients being treated for COVID-19 at the hospitals recently hit a new record, he said.
“We continue to fight a different type of war today with COVID-19, with the seven average positive outpatient tests sadly creeping up again to more than 50 per day, and many more hospitalizations with a new unfortunate peak record of 51 inpatients on Tuesday,” Bond said.
Memorial Hospital in Gulfport had just two available ICU beds on Wednesday, the state reported. The hospital was treating 11 patients for COVID-19 in its ICU and has 26 ICU beds total.
On Nov. 9, Memorial had just one adult ICU bed available.
Singing River Health System, with hospitals in Pascagoula and Ocean Springs, had nine ICU beds available.
Garden Park had three ICU beds available and was treating four patients for COVID-19, out of a total of 13 ICU beds.
Merit Health, a smaller hospital in Biloxi, had no ICU beds available. It was treating one patient for COVID-19 and has eight ICU beds total.
On Wednesday, Gov. Tate Reeves announced he was extending the mask mandate in Harrison and Jackson Counties until Dec. 11.
The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide was 669 as of Nov. 10, the highest level since late August. The number of patients in an ICU was 191.
The seven-day average of new cases in the state fell slightly from above 1,000 to 968. That was because the recent new-case peak of 1,612 on Nov. 5 fell out of the tally.
Since the pandemic began, there have been 15,873 confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Mississippi and 336 deaths.
Total cases by county in South Mississippi are:
- George: 1,128 (11 new)
- Hancock: 1,008 (5 new)
- Harrison: 6,279 (55 new)
- Jackson: 5,567 (39 new)
- Pearl River: 1,293 (16 new)
- Stone: 598 (18 new)
Anita Lee and Mary Perez contributed reporting.
This story was originally published November 12, 2020 at 10:31 AM.
