COVID cases build in MS as residents reject vaccines, dangerous delta wave spreads
South Mississippi on Wednesday saw the biggest spike in new COVID-19 cases — 181 — since February, the end of a deadly winter increase before vaccines were widely available.
Statewide, the Mississippi Department of Public Health reported 961 new cases, the highest total since mid-February that did not include weekend numbers — and 8 deaths.
State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs has told Mississippians that they can either get vaccinated or they will wind up with COVID as the highly contagious Delta variant sweeps the state and nation. He has reiterated that the vaccines available have proven safe and highly effective, with far better outcomes than contracting COVID-19.
Mississippi now has a total of 330,664 COVID-19 cases and 7,485 deaths.
Dobbs said during a news conference Tuesday that 93% of the state’s positive COVID cases and 89% of deaths in past month were in non-vaccinated residents.
Vaccines are widely available in Mississippi, where all residents 12 and older are eligible for shots.
Mississippi has the lowest vaccination rate in the nation, with only 32% of the population fully vaccinated, MSDH statistics show. The numbers are even lower in South Mississippi, where none of the rates for fully vaccinated residents in the six counties exceed Harrison County’s 29% and are as low as 22% in Pearl River County.
Only one new death was reported for South Mississippi, in Stone County. South Mississippi’s new COVID 19 cases are listed below:
- George County: 6 new cases.
- Hancock County: 8 new cases.
- Harrison County: 64 new cases.
- Jackson County: 68 new cases.
- Pearl River County: 24 new cases.
- Stone County: 11 new cases.
This story was originally published July 21, 2021 at 9:57 AM.
