South MS surpasses 50,000 COVID cases as outbreaks spike at long-term care facilities
More than 50,000 people in South Mississippi have been infected with COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the latest update from the health department on Friday morning.
The department reported 1,643 new cases Friday and 10 deaths due to COVID-19. In the six counties of South Mississippi, there were 465 cases, bringing the total number of cases in the region to 50,253 since March 2020.
Of six deaths on July 28 and 29, one was recorded in Jackson County. The department also reported four new deaths from July 18 to July 21, none in Coast counties.
Outbreaks in long-term care facilities across the state reached 108 on Friday, including seven in Harrison County. Such outbreaks had declined as older Mississippians were more likely to seek the vaccine; 70% of Mississippians over 65 had been fully vaccinated as of Thursday.
But nursing home staff have been far more reluctant to get vaccinated. In Mississippi, data reported to the federal government shows that fewer than 30% of staff in most facilities have been vaccinated, and sometimes as little as 5%. A larger number of unvaccinated employees increases the likelihood of breakthrough infections affecting vaccinated residents.
State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs tweeted Friday morning that most cases at long-term care facilities were seen among staffers, with few cases of serious illness among residents.
In South Mississippi, the highest case incidence in the two-week period ending July 19 was reported in Pearl River County, with 378 new cases per 100,000 (the county has a population of about 55,500). Harrison followed with 312 cases per 100,000.
This week, there were 2,659 new cases in South Mississippi, double last week’s figure and about 10 times the figure reported in the last week of June and the first days of July.
Here are the latest figures for each South Mississippi county:
- George: 2,722 (17 new)
- Hancock: 4,280 (43 new)
- Harrison: 20,527 (162 new)
- Jackson: 15,232 (145 new)
- Pearl River: 5,196 (55 new)
- Stone: 2,296 (43 new)
