448 COVID cases, 15 deaths reported Wednesday in Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. (WLOX) - A total of 448 new cases and 15 new deaths were reported Wednesday across the state of Mississippi, according to the state Department of Health. That total is the number of positive COVID-19 cases from 3pm Monday to 3pm Tuesday.

Of the 15 deaths reported, 12 occurred between Feb. 25-28, including one in Hancock County and one in Jackson County. The other three deaths occurred between Jan. 23 and Feb. 24, and did not include anyone from South Mississippi.

There were 65 new cases reported in the six lower counties of the state. Those cases were in the following counties: Harrison County (41), Jackson County (12), Hancock County (8), Pearl River County (3), Stone County (1), and George County (0).

As of March 1 at 3pm, there have been a total of 790,616 cases and 12,115 deaths from COVID-19 in Mississippi.

As of March 1, there were 308 people hospitalized in Mississippi with confirmed infections. Of those, 86 were in the ICU and 27 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 51% of the state’s residents are fully vaccinated as of Feb. 25. That’s lower than the national average of vaccinated Americans, which currently sits at 65%. 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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