Mississippi tops 4,000 deaths. New COVID-19 wave growing faster than summer surge.
Over 4,000 Mississippians have now died after testing positive for the coronavirus, and Tuesday the state reported the third-highest single-day increase in deaths with 56.
COVID-19 cases in South Mississippi also hit a record high Tuesday with a seven-day average of 246.71 daily cases, topping the previous high of 184.43 on July 30.
A total of 1,732 new cases of COVID-19 are being reported statewide. The state has had a total of 167,926 cases and 4,017 deaths.
Fifty six new deaths is the highest daily number since the summer spike at the end of August.
MSDH said 14 of the deaths reported Tuesday were investigated from an earlier time period and determined to be from COVID-19.
Jackson County topped South Mississippi locations with the highest number of new deaths at 6, while George, Harrison and Pearl River reported one new death each. One death was reported from an earlier period for Hancock County.
A total of 413 people in South Mississippi have now died of COVID-19.
Hospitalizations also are continuing to climb.
Call for statewide mask mandate
A mask mandate is now in force in 54 Mississippi counties, but Gov. Tate Reeves has resisted calls from the state’s medical establishment to re-institute a statewide mandate for all 82 counties. A statewide mask mandate Reeves ordered in early August lowered case numbers, but it expired at the end of September.
Just before the numbers came out Tuesday, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said on Twitter: “This wave is growing much more quickly than the summer surge (as predicted). But our future is in our own hands.
“Please be safe and limit social interactions to household members only.”
South Mississippi now has a total of 20,491 cases. Total cases by county are:
George: 1,421 (19 new)
Hancock: 1,388 (23 new)
Harrison: 8,039 (154 new)
Jackson: 6,976 (78 new)
Pearl River: 1,772 (26 new)
Stone: 895 (9 new)
