State health leaders weigh in on COVID-19 surge in Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - COVID-19 cases are continuing to rise in Mississippi.

The health department reported 4,840 new cases on Tuesday and an additional 37 deaths.

According to the CDC, the omicron variant has caused a massive spike in numbers across the country.

The Department of Health says the state is seeing a rapid increase in COVID cases and hospitalizations.

State Health Officer Doctor Thomas Dobbs said in a tweet yesterday “Omicron in full swing!”

Omicron in full swing! Severity of illness overall milder but still substantial hospitalizations.

Be safe! Get boosted!

Very few monoclonals for MS this week (despite of efforts to get more)

270 bam/ete (Ely Lilly)
336 REGEN-COV
283 Sotrovimab pic.twitter.com/aNDVsudAPa
— thomas dobbs (@TCBPubHealth) January 4, 2022

Dobbs says the severity of this variant is milder but there has been a substantial number of hospitalizations.

The state has been working to get more monoclonal treatments but Dobbs said they only received a few this week.

He encouraged Mississippians to be safe and get the booster shot.

A group of pediatricians is urging school districts across the state to put mask mandates in place due to the increase in cases.

The Mississippi Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics is also recommending ALL school staff and children get the COVID shot.

The group’s president says “We know schools have been doing a remarkable job at controlling the spread of COVID-19 while keeping kids in school where they belong.

As students come back during the Omicron surge, we need to see the successful strategies that worked last year reinstated, as some schools relaxed these policies in the fall.

The group says these measures will help slow the spread of the virus and help keep kids in the classroom.