The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) on Wednesday reported 489 new cases of COVID-19 in the state and 23 new deaths.
Four additional cases were reported in Tallahatchie County — the largest single-day increase since the first case was reported locally March 23. There have been 49 confirmed infections and 1 death in Tallahatchie County.
MSDH noted that 16 of the new deaths reported today occurred May 23 to June 11 and were identified through death certificate investigations.
The new statistics bring the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state since March 11 to 20,641, with 938 deaths.
MSDH said 23 of the new cases of COVID-19 reported Tuesday were among residents in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, and that the number of active outbreaks of COVID-19 in those facilities has fallen to 73. An outbreak means there is at least one case among residents or staff.
The Health Department reported Tuesday that 466 people were hospitalized for COVID-19.
MSDH presumes that 15,323 persons infected with the virus in Mississippi have recovered, as of a June 15 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 total in parenthesis and the number of COVID-19 related deaths to date in bold:
» Coahoma: 156 (153) 6
» Grenada: 170 (167) 4
» Lafayette: 209 (195) 4
» Leflore: 385 (376) 47
» Panola: 146 (137) 4
» Quitman: 52 (51)
» Sunflower: 128 (127) 4
» Tallahatchie: 49 (45) 1
» Yalobusha: 139 (139) 7
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) and June 17 (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.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), a significant portion of individuals with the coronavirus lack symptoms (asymptomatic) and can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms just by speaking, coughing or sneezing.
The CDC offers tips on making, wearing and cleaning a cloth face mask covering at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth....
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.
