The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) on Wednesday afternoon reported 536 new positive cases of COVID-19 in the state and 22 additional deaths.
It is the state's second-largest single-day increase of new cases and comes on the heels of the record 611 cases reported just one day earlier.
Nineteen of the new cases today were among residents in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes and assisted living centers. MSDH said there are now 84 active outbreaks in those facilities, where an outbreak is one or more positive case among residents or staff.
The Health Department said 12 of the 22 deaths reported today occurred from May 30 to June 14 and were identified through death certificate investigation.
The latest statistics bring the statewide total of confirmed COVID-19 cases since March 11 to 23,424, with 1,011 deaths.
In Tallahatchie County, the number of people testing positive for the virus rose by 4 for a second straight day, to stand at 72 today. One death was reported on April 17.
MSDH noted that, per capita, Tallahatchie County had the 11th-highest rate of incidence of COVID-19 for the week of June 15-21.
The Health Department reported that 523 people are presently hospitalized for confirmed COVID-19 infection while another 244 are hospitalized with suspected COVID-19.
The daily count is updated with test results and other information reported to MSDH by 6 p.m. the previous day. COVID-19 deaths are reported to the state by hospitals, medical examiners and coroners.
MSDH presumes that 17,242 (77%) of the total infected with the virus in Mississippi have recovered, as of a June 22 report. MSDH updates this number weekly. This figure includes people never hospitalized who have not tested positive for COVID-19 in 14 days or more. It also includes cases in which there was a known hospitalization, or hospitalization was unknown, and it has been 21 days or more since the case tested positive.
The latest reported COVID-19 case totals for area counties are as follow, with the previous day's figures in parenthesis and the number of COVID-19 related deaths to date in bold:
» Coahoma: 167 (160) 6
» Grenada: 226 (211) 4
» Lafayette: 289 (269) 4
» Leflore: 434 (430) 48
» Panola: 204 (190) 5
» Quitman: 49 (49) 0
» Sunflower: 189 (172) 6
» Tallahatchie: 72 (68) 1
» Yalobusha: 136 (133) 7
MSDH notes that county case numbers and deaths are subject to change, sometimes adjusted downward, as investigation finds new or additional information about residence.
Tallahatchie County’s positive cases were reported to the public March 23 (1), March 24 (1), April 5 (1), April 13 (1), April 15 (2), April 16 (1), April 17 (1), April 22 (1), April 24 (2), May 2 (1), May 12 (1), May 13 (1), May 14 (1), May 15 (3), May 17 (1), May 18 (2), May 21 (2), May 24 (1), May 27 (1), May 28 (1), May 30 (1), June 2 (2), June 3 (1), June 5 (1), June 7 (1), June 8 (3), June 12 (a two-day total of 4), June 13 (1), June 14 (2), June 15 (1), June 16 (2), June 17 (4), June 17-21 (15), June 23 (4) and June 24 (4). The death was reported April 17.
MSDH continues to advise all Mississippi residents to cover their face (mouth and nose) with a non-medical grade mask or cloth when leaving the home to perform essential functions such as grocery shopping, filling prescriptions and in other public places where proper social distancing of 6 feet between persons is difficult to maintain.
For the latest guidance and case updates for Mississippi, download the free MS Ready mobile app.
Additional information, including complete county-by-county case statistics, preventive recommendations and more, is available at the MSDH website at www.healthyms.com/covid-19.
MSDH maintains the Mississippi Coronavirus Hotline, which offers answers to questions about COVID-19. The hotline, 877-978-6453, is open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. seven days a week.
