1,190 COVID cases, 46 deaths reported Friday in Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. (WLOX) - A total of 1,190 new cases and 46 new deaths were reported Friday across the state of Mississippi, according to the state Department of Health. That total is the number of positive COVID-19 cases from 3pm Wednesday to 3pm Thursday.

All 46 deaths reported occurred between Jan. 2 and Feb. 17. Of those, five deaths were reported in the six southern counties of the state in George County (2), Harrison County (1), and Jackson County (2).

There were 152 new cases reported in the six lower counties of the state. Those cases were in the following counties: Harrison County (70), Jackson County (39), Pearl River County (19), Hancock County (12), Stone County (9), and George County (3),

As of February 17 at 3pm, there have been a total of 785,528 cases and 11,836 deaths reported in Mississippi.

On Thursday, two additional pediatric deaths were reported, both in children ages 11-17. That brings the total number of children who have died as a result of COVID to 13. All of them were unvaccinated.

As of Feb. 17, there were 630 people hospitalized in Mississippi with confirmed infections. Of those, 160 were in the ICU and 110 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 50% of the state’s residents are fully vaccinated as of Feb. 15. That’s lower than the national average of vaccinated Americans, which currently sits at 64%. As for booster shots, 36% of Mississippians have received one. The national average is 43%.

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

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

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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