South Mississippi sees highest-ever increase in COVID cases — for 2nd time in 4 days
For the second time in just four days, South Mississippi has seen its highest daily increase in COVID-19 cases.
The southernmost six counties reported 387 new cases today, up from the previous highest daily increase of 373 on Saturday.
Most of those cases, 206, were reported in Harrison County.
The state saw a total of 2,205 new cases, bringing the seven-day average to 2,196, the highest it has ever been, for the fourth day in a row.
Mississippi also reported 48 new deaths, including three in Harrison County and one in Stone County that were identified from death certificate reports between Nov. 25 and Dec. 10.
The case surge comes as the state receives its first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. On Monday, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs got the state’s first COVID-19 vaccine on camera during a news conference.
Doses were distributed to five hospitals throughout the state by Monday morning, Dobbs said.
On Tuesday morning, he tweeted an update.
“Minimal soreness at injection site,” he wrote. “Feel great (except for being absolutes terrified about our hospital situation through the holidays).”
Gov. Tate Reeves also tweeted Tuesday to poll people on if he should get the vaccine to reassure people, or let others get it first. “I’m ready—but don’t want to be accused of cutting in line. What do you think is the better action by leaders?”
Dobbs has said that about 10% of COVID-19 patients end up in the hospital. If that statistic holds for the South Mississippians whose positive tests were included in today’s report, area hospitals could soon be overwhelmed.
As of Sunday, the state health department reported that hospitals on the Coast that treat COVID-19 patients had 22 COVID patients in their ICUs, and 23 ICU beds available.
Elsewhere in the state, 26 hospitals have already been diverting patients because their ICUs are too full, Dobbs said last week.
Here are the latest case figures for South Mississippi:
George — 1,501 (14 new)
Hancock — 1,539 (31 new)
Harrison — 8,915 (206 new)
Jackson — 7,565 (106 new)
Pearl River — 2,045 (16 new)
Stone — 987 (14 new)
