Tallahatchie County's 50th COVID-19 related death was reported Wednesday by the Mississippi State Department of Health.
It was the second local death attributed to the pandemic in as many weeks, with the 49th cited by MSDH in its Sept. 15 daily report.
At least one Tallahatchie County resident has succumbed to COVID-19 during each of the past four weeks, including two deaths reported on Sept. 8 and one reported Sept. 2.
The first COVID-related death in the county was announced on April 17, 2020.
According to MSDH statistics released Thursday, 2,188 Tallahatchians have tested positive for the virus since the first local infection was reported March 23, 2020.
Thursday's figures also noted that Mississippi has logged a total of 481,397 positive cases and 9,395 deaths since the first cases were reported in the state in March 2020.
MSDH announced Monday that 440,450 Mississippians are presumed to have recovered from COVID-19.
The total number of COVID-19 cases and deaths reported among area counties as of Thursday were:
Coahoma: 3,942 cases, 98 deaths
Grenada: 3,553 cases, 104 deaths
Lafayette: 8,218 cases, 137 deaths
Leflore: 4,468 cases, 140 deaths
Panola: 6,219 cases, 126 deaths
Quitman: 1,036 cases, 26 deaths
Sunflower: 4,137 cases, 104 deaths
Tallahatchie: 2,188 cases, 50 deaths
Yalobusha: 2,205 cases, 47 deaths
Vaccination remains the best defense against the new delta variant of COVID-19, which is said to spread faster and easier than previous strains.
MSDH said Thursday that during the period of Aug. 26 to Sept. 22, a full 97% of the new COVID-19 cases were identified among people who were not vaccinated. Also, 88% of hospitalizations and 87% of COVID-related deaths during that period were among the unvaccinated.
In Tallahatchie County, 40% of the population has received at least one dose of a vaccine, while 35% are fully vaccinated, an MSDH chart showed.
In Mississippi, 43% of the total population was fully vaccinated as of Thursday. Nationally, 55% were fully vaccinated.
Senior residents have embraced the vaccine much more than others. MSDH noted that 75% of Mississippians 65 years of age and older have been fully vaccinated, compared with 83% nationally.
MSDH maintains a hotline, 1-877-978-6453, to answer questions about COVID-19 and vaccinations, including assisting with scheduling a vaccine appointment. The hotline is open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. daily.
For the latest guidance and case updates for Mississippi, download the MS Ready app or visit the MSDH page at www.healthyms.com/covid-19.
