COVID-19 has now killed 800 people in South Mississippi
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Mississippi mask mandate
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves is ending the state’s mask mandate during the coronavirus pandemic. Here are stories that you need to know.
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COVID-19 has now killed 800 people in South Mississippi
The Mississippi State Health Department reported 576 new cases of COVID19 on Saturday and 22 more deaths, with four of the new deaths reported in in South Mississippi.
The four new deaths occurred in Jackson County, bringing the total number of deaths there to 234 deaths.
A total of 800 deaths have now occurred in the six southern counties in South Mississippi since March.
The number of new cases of coronavirus have steadily decreased in the last month as more Mississippi residents become eligible for the vaccine.
Mississippi as of Saturday had a total of 297,321 cases of COVID-19 and 6,805 deaths since the pandemic began.
A decline in new cases of COVID-19 follows a post-holiday surge that led to a record number of cases in December and January, but the health departments reports a steady decline in new cases since.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves on Tuesday announced the end of mask mandates. Mississippi is now among 16 states without mask mandates, though the state still has a higher positively rate than recommended for reopening the majority of states.
Cities in South Mississippi are following the governor’s recommendation to end mask mandates.
State Public Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs continues to recommend residents wear mask and maintain other safety measures.
On Thursday, the age requirement to receive COVID-19 vaccinations opened up to residents 50 and older, allowing more people to get the vaccines along with people in younger age groups with chronic health conditions.
The majority of deaths from COVID-19 in Mississippi has occurred among residents who are age 50 and older, according to health department officials.
As of Saturday, South Mississippi has had a total of 41,438 cases and 109 deaths.
By county, the cases are:
- George — 2,327 (3 new cases)
- Hancock — 3,529 (10 new cases)
- Jackson — 12,750 (50 new cases)
- Pearl River — 4,212 (7 new cases)
- Stone — 1,734 (3 new cases)
Friday, March 5
Only two new cases of the coronavirus and one new death were reported Friday in nursing homes across Mississippi.
Residents and staff at nursing homes were among the first groups to receive the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine for COVID-19, and the numbers show it is working to reduce cases and deaths in long term care facilities in Mississippi and nationwide.
A new report from American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living shows shows an 82% decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases nationally since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services started tracking the trends in May.
In South Mississippi, 170 deaths have occurred in long term care facilities, or 21% of the total deaths in the six southern counties.
Nationwide, 130,079 residents and staff at nursing homes have died of the coronavirus.
On Thursday Mississippi lowered the age requirement to receive COVID-19 vaccinations to 50 and older. It had been for ages 65 and older, or for younger age groups with chronic health conditions.
Mississippi Department of Health said Thursday that 94% of COVID-19 related deaths (6,381) and 80% (7,342) of hospitalizations in Mississippi for the coronavirus have been among those age 50 and older.
Through Thursday, 443,535 people in Mississippi have received the first dose of vaccine, which is about 15% of the 2.976 million residents.
Friday’s report from the Health Department shows 591 new cases and 19 additional deaths. The totals now are 296,745 cases, 278,162 estimated recoveries and 6,783 deaths.
South Mississippi has 157 new cases and 2 deaths reported Friday, 1 death each in Hancock and Jackson counties. The totals in South Mississippi are 41,329 cases since March 11 and 796 deaths.
By county, the cases are:
- George — 2,324 (0 new cases)
- Hancock — 3,519 (17 new cases)
- Harrison — 16,850 (70 new)
- Jackson — 12,700 (57 new)
- Pearl River — 4,205 (12 new)
- Stone — 1,731 (1 new)
Memorial Hospital at Gulfport has about 400 appointments available today at the Gruich Community Center on Howard Avenue in Biloxi.
The age limit to get the vaccine was lowered to 50 and older on Thursday. Those who qualify can call 228-867 5000 to make an appointment. If they can’t get an appointment for Friday, their name will go on a waiting list to get the next available appointments.
Thursday, March 4
The number of Black people in Mississippi who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine has jumped by two percentage points in the last week as the State Department of Health looks to close the racial disparity gap.
With 134,531 Black Mississippians receiving a shot as of March 3, that accounts for 24% of all shots given. Seventy percent of the shots have gone to white people.
Black people make up about 38% of Mississippi’s population.
Memorial Hospital is offering Pfizer vaccinations to 1,200 members of the East Biloxi community by appointment only through a partnership with NAACP Biloxi Branch Chairperson James Crowell and City of Biloxi Councilman Felix Gines.
Memorial is also providing a Spanish translator for its COVID-19 hotline at 228-867-5000.
Singing River Health Care System will offer first doses of the Pfizer vaccine at its drive-through sites on Friday in Gulfport and on March 16 in Pascagoula. The hotline to set up appointments is 228-809-5555.
The total number of people who have received at least one vaccine shot in Mississippi is 429,557 — about 14.5% of the state’s population.
Vaccine appointments can be made through covidvaccine.umc.edu or by calling 877-978-6453.
Gov. Tate Reeves announced Thursday that people ages 50 and up have been added to the list of people eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
MSDH reported 479 new cases of the coronavirus and 21 deaths on Thursday.
Nine of those deaths took place in the state’s southernmost six counties — four in Stone County, two in Hancock County, one in Harrison County, one in Jackson County and one in Pearl River County.
Statewide, there were 391 people hospitalized with confirmed cases of the coronavirus as of March 3 – the lowest figure of 2021.
COVID-19 cases in South Mississippi:
- George County — 2,324 (3 new cases)
- Hancock County — 3,502 (13 new cases)
- Harrison County — 16,780 (44 new cases)
- Jackson County — 12,643 (20 new cases)
- Pearl River County — 4,193 (15 new cases)
- Stone County — 1,730 (6 new cases)
Wednesday, March 3
While Gov. Tate Reeves ended a near-statewide mask mandate beginning today, top doctors are warning residents to continue wearing masks even though cases are falling.
Anita Henderson, a Hattiesburg doctor who is president of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, thanked Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker for keeping a mask mandate in force in that city.
Henderson tweeted that Mississippians should continue to wear masks and avoid group gatherings.
“We are so close to having vaccines available for everyone,” she wrote, “Let’s not see another wave and undo all the good progress we have made.
LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor of the University of Mississippi Medical Center and a leader in the state’s fight against the coronavirus, retweeted Henderson and another tweet from State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs.
Dobbs tweeted a link to Mississippi State Department of Health guidelines that recommend masks and other safety measures in health-care settings.
The MSDH reported 380 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and 19 more deaths, with one each in Harrison and Pearl River counties. The decline follows a post-holiday spike that led to record cases in December and January, with a corresponding climb in hospitalizations and deaths.
Texas and Mississippi on Tuesday joined 14 other states without mask mandates. But Mississippi still has a higher test positivity rate than recommended for the kind of reopening the governor’s new executive order covered.
The World Health Organization recommends a test positivity rate of 5% or lower for reopening, while Mississippi’s test positivity rate is 14.9%, according to the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University & Medicine.
Mississippi’s test positivity rate, the sixth highest of any state in the nation, indicates a high rate of community transmission relative to the number of people being tested.
While vaccinations are starting to help reduce spread, with a notable decrease in nursing home outbreaks of COVID-19, only 18.8% of Mississippians 18 and older have received first doses of a vaccine and 9.8% have received both required doses, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracker shows.
The state this week added the approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine, a one-dose shot, to the two-dose Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines.
COVID-19 cases in South Mississippi are listed below:
- George: 2,321 (3 new)
- Hancock: 3,489 (0 new)
- Harrison: 16,736 (14 new)
- Jackson: 12,623 (20 new)
- Pearl River: 4,178 (4 new)
- Stone: 1,724 (0 new)
Tuesday, March 2
Mississippi’s State Department of Health posted thousands of new appointments for first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on its website Tuesday morning.
When the MSDH posts a large number of new appointments for its drive-through sites, most last only 3-4 hours at covidvaccine.umc.edu. You can also reserve appointments by calling 877-978-6453.
Those eligible for the vaccine are people 65 and up, teachers, first responders, emergency management officials and those with qualifying health conditions.
As of March 1, 407,647 people had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Mississippi. In that group, 219,000 have received both doses.
The number of Black Mississippians who have received a shot of the vaccine improved slightly, going from 22% of all shots to 23%. Black people make up approximately 38% of the state’s population.
State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said in a post on Twitter that 30% of last week’s vaccinations went to Black people in Mississippi.
MSDH reported 301 new cases of COVID-19 and 44 deaths on Tuesday. Five of those deaths from the coronavirus took place in the state’s southernmost six counties — two in Harrison County, two in Jackson County and one in Hancock County.
Of the 6,724 COVID-19 deaths reported in Mississippi in the last year, 787 have taken place in South Mississippi.
COVID-19 cases in South Mississippi:
- George County — 2,318 (1 new case)
- Hancock County — 3,479 (6 new cases)
- Harrison County — 16,722 (12 new cases)
- Jackson County — 12,603 (11 new cases)
- Pearl River County — 4,174 (7 new cases)
Monday, March 1
The state health department reported 60 new COVID-19 cases in the six South Mississippi counties on Monday.
There were 199 new cases statewide and no new deaths.
Singing River Health System announced Monday morning it has appointments available for eligible people, including people over 65, teachers, first responders, emergency management officials and people with certain health conditions. To make an appointment, call their hotline: 228-809-5555. You can also visit MySingingRiver.com to log into your account or create a new account to schedule an appointment.
Ocean Springs School District also announced on Monday that its employees will be able to receive the vaccine from Singing River at the district’s Greyhound Stadium on Thursday. There will be 200 doses available to employees who sign up in advance.
Singing River media relations director Sarah Duffey said the system has also organized vaccinations for Jackson County, Pascagoula-Gautier, Harrison County, Gulfport and Biloxi School Districts. She said distributions will take place on Wednesday and Thursday this week.
Teachers and school staff in Mississippi became eligible for the vaccine last week.
Memorial Hospital announced that people who received their first dose of the vaccine on Feb. 10 at the Isiah Fredericks Community Center or the West Harrison Civic Center-Espy Center can get their second dose on Wednesday, March 3 at the same locations. The Memorial Hospital COVID-19 hotline is (228) 867-5000.
“To receive the second vaccination, patients must have scheduled an appointment with a Memorial team member,” Memorial said in a statement. “Patients need to bring a photo ID and the vaccination card from first dose.”
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, a single dose that does not need to be kept frozen, started shipping Sunday night. After the initial allocation of 3.9 million doses, Johnson & Johnson has pledged to distribute 20 million doses by the end of March.
In a clinical trial, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was completely effective at preventing hospitalization and death. Against moderate cases, it was 66% protective, while Pfizer and Moderna were more than 90% protective.
Some state governors and advocates have raised concerns that the vaccine could end up being prioritized for distribution to low-income and Black and brown communities, where vaccine access has trailed rates in wealthier, whiter communities. Because of its lower efficacy rates, they suggest it could become perceived as an inferior product and erode trust.
Mississippi officials have said they expected the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to add to the state’s supply of nearly 60,000 doses this week.
Here are new cases for the six South Mississippi counties:
- George: 2,317 (0 new)
- Hancock: 3,473 (4 new)
- Harrison: 16,710 (31 new)
- Jackson: 12,592 (17 new)
- Pearl River: 4,167 (8 new)
- Stone: 1,724 (0 new)
Sunday, Feb. 28
Mississippi reported 704 new COVID-19 cases and 12 new deaths Sunday.
That brought the seven-day new case average to 594.71. During and after the winter storm that brought record low temperatures and frozen-over roads to much of the state, that statistic dipped below 400.
The state also reported 12 deaths Sunday, including two in Jackson County and one in Pearl River County.
The six South Mississippi counties reported 183 new cases, mostly in Harrison and Jackson Counties.
Here are cases for each South Mississippi county:
- George County: 2,317 (5 new)
- Hancock County: 3,469 (31 new)
This story was originally published March 1, 2021 at 10:39 AM.