More people are dying in MS. ‘We have to acknowledge that the COVID crisis is real.’
New Mississippi COVID-19 cases are again above the 3,000 mark on Tuesday, with the state closing in on a total of 400,000 cases and South Mississippi reporting its highest number of deaths since February.
The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 3,323 new cases of COVID-19 and 67 deaths. Total cases now stand at 392,309 and deaths at 7,880 — 2% of all cases. Eleven of the new deaths are in South Mississippi, with 15 being the highest daily total of the pandemic on Feb. 9.
The case numbers show that more than 13% of the state’s population has been infected since the pandemic began here on March, 11, 2020. The delta variant of COVID is fueling the strongest surge yet in the pandemic, with patients overflowing into hospital emergency rooms for treatment, including at the Coast’s largest hospitals.
“We have to acknowledge that the COVID crisis is real, it is here and we need to do the best things we can to fight the crisis,” House Speaker Philip Gunn said in a recent Facebook video. “The second thing we have to acknowledge is that the best tool we have to fight the COVID-19 virus is the vaccine. Like it or not, that’s the way it is.”
The state is nearing 8,000 deaths from COVID-19, with 103 of those deaths reported since July 1. Outbreaks in long-term care facilities, where many workers remain unvaccinated, have risen to 172, the MSDH reports.
MS posts dismal COVID statistics with low vaccine rate
Mississippi statistics on COVID-19 are dismal. State and federal public health records tell the story, as of Monday:
- The lowest vaccination rate at 36% of population fully vaccinated, compared to 50% nationally.
- The third highest mortality rate from COVID at 260 per 100,000 of the population.
- The second highest number of residents testing positive for COVID-19 at 53.4%, which means many residents are infected and contagious.
Statistics also clearly show that the pandemic is currently being fueled by unvaccinated residents as the highly contagious delta variant spreads. From July 16 to Aug. 12, the latest information available from MSDH, unvaccinated individuals account for 98% of COVID-19 cases, 89% of hospitalizations and 83% of deaths.
While Gov. Tate Reeves refuses to tell Mississippians they should get vaccinated, instead saying its a personal choice, other state leaders have urged residents to get vaccines, including Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and House Speaker Philip Gunn.
Gunn turned to the Bible, saying in the Facebook video that Mississippians and Americans, he said, come together in times of adversity.
“Why is it that we always step up and put each other first?” Gunn asked. “It’s because we are letting out the commands of God that say, ‘Love God first and love your neighbor second.’
“We need that attitude now.”
Vaccinations peaked the week ending February 27, when only Mississippians at greatest risk of illness and death from COVID-19 were eligible, with 132,042 vaccinated, MSDH records show. As the delta variant surges, vaccinations are once again increasing, with 71,135 receiving first or second doses for the week ending Aug. 14. Weekly numbers had in early July dipped below 20,000.
COVID cases in South MS
In South Mississippi, where vaccination numbers are even lower than the state average, the state health department has reported 16,753 new cases over the last six weeks, compared to 1,402 cases for the previous six weeks.
In South Mississippi, the MSDH reported 754 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday and 11 more deaths. George, Hancock and Pearl River counties had one new death each, with four each in Harrison and Jackson counties an and no new deaths in Stone County, which saw its last new death reported Aug. 2.
South Mississippi’s new cases and total cases are listed below:
- George County: 60 new cases, 3432 total cases.
- Hancock County: 51 new cases, 5,320 total cases.
- Harrison County: 257 new cases, 25,536 total cases.
- Jackson County: 257 new cases, 18,642 total cases.
- Pearl River County: 89 new cases, 6,419 total cases.
- Stone County: 40 new cases, 2,828 total cases.
