22,000+ new COVID cases reported statewide over the MLK holiday weekend

JACKSON, Miss. (WLOX) - More than 22,000 new COVID-19 cases have been reported over the last four days, according to the latest numbers released Tuesday by Mississippi Department of Health.

A total of 22,456 new cases and 17 new deaths were reported Tuesday. That total is the number of positive COVID cases from 3pm Thursday to 3pm Monday. No data was released on Monday due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Seventeen deaths were reported across the state, including one in Harrison County and one in Hancock County, both of which occurred between Jan. 13-14.

There were 3,946 new cases reported in the six lower counties of the state. Those cases were in the following counties: Harrison County (1,536), Jackson County (1,100), Pearl River County (534), Hancock County (329), George County (265), and Stone County (182).

As of Jan. 17 at 3pm, there have been a total of 657,084 cases and 10,642 deaths reported in Mississippi.

County	# of Confirmed Cases	# of Deaths	# of LTC Cases	# of LTC Deaths
George	6037	80	75	9
Hancock	9740	141	133	22
Harrison	42,914	575	575	81
Jackson	31,040	398	316	41
Pearl River	12,026	247	227	42
Stone	4409	67	95	14

* As of Jan. 18, MSDH has not yet updated the charts. Once that information is provided, we will update this story.

For the third day in a row, Mississippi is reporting a new record-high number of COVID-19... — For the third day in a row, Mississippi is reporting a new record-high number of COVID-19 cases. On Friday, the health department said there were 9,300 new cases reported between 3pm Wednesday and 3pm Thursday.(MSDH)

As of Jan. 13, there were 1365 people hospitalized in Mississippi with confirmed infections. Of those, 259 were in the ICU and 114 were on ventilators.

COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots are available for Mississippians at no cost from MSDH sites around the state, and from local pharmacies and healthcare providers. In all, the Mississippi Department of Health reports that 48% of the state’s residents are fully vaccinated as of Dec. 28. That’s much lower than the national average of vaccinated Americans, which currently sits at 62%. As for booster shots, 29% of Mississippians have received one.

To see the most recent vaccination report from MSDH, click here.

Click here for more information on vaccinations, including where appointments can be made.

Mississippi has reached yet another record-high number of cases reported in a single day.... — Mississippi has reached yet another record-high number of cases reported in a single day. Between 3pm Monday and 3pm Tuesday, MSDH reported 8,204 new cases and 26 deaths across the state.(MSDH)

Anyone wanting to be tested for COVID-19 can complete a pre-screening by calling one of the following hotlines:

Memorial Hospital Coronavirus Hotline: 228-867-5000
Singing River Health System Coronavirus Hotline: 228-809-5000
MS Dept. of Health Coronavirus Hotline: 877-978-6453.

In order to determine the presumed number of people who have recovered from the virus, state health officials say the patient must meet one of two criteria. For patients who were NOT hospitalized, they are considered recovered if they have not tested positive for the virus after 14 days. For patients who were hospitalized or if hospitalization was unknown, they are presumed recovered if it has been 21 days or more since they tested positive.

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