MS sets new high mark with over 2,700 new COVID-19 cases after reporting error
EDITOR’S NOTE: The health department announced Wednesday morning that it found a data problem with its initial report. This story includes updated numbers.
Mississippi’s state health department announced a new record for COVID-19 cases on Wednesday with 2,746 new cases and 24 deaths, the most cases ever reported in the state in a single day.
This comes a week after the state first crossed the single-day threshold of 2,000 with the previous high being set on Dec. 4 at 2,480.
Earlier in the day, the health department reported what State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs described as an “erroneous” total of 3,658 new cases.
He said Wednesday afternoon that a review of the data revealed the mistake and he apologized for the data error.
Earlier this week, Dobbs, said Mississippi was in a “Thanksgiving surge” of coronavirus cases after the holiday.
The seven-day average for new cases in the state now stands at 1,972.0 — a figure that’s increased by almost 900 since Nov. 28.
The state’s southernmost six counties also set a new single-day record for new cases on Wednesday with 363. The seven-day average for the area is now 260.29
As cases climb in the state, so have hospitalization statistics. The number of people hospitalized with confirmed cases of the coronavirus hit a high on Dec. 8 at 1,125. There were also 116 people in the hospital with suspected cases.
There were 288 people in intensive care with COVID-19, including 168 on ventilators.
COVID-19 cases in South Mississippi
George — 1,443 (22 new)
Hancock — 1,410 (22 new)
Harrison — 8,140 (101 new)
Jackson — 7,123 (147 new)
Pearl River — 1,827 (14 new)
Stone — 911 (16 new)
This story was originally published December 9, 2020 at 9:01 AM.
