COVID numbers see increase

COVID numbers see increase

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Gov. Tate Reeves canceled his daily press briefing Wednesday to attend the funeral of a slain deputy sheriff in Simpson County, but took to Twitter to reinforce his call for Mississippians to stay vigilant in the fight against COVID-19.

"Today we saw 489 new COVID-19 cases — a large number by any measure," he wrote. "I'm concerned that people are losing interest in the effort to keep each other safe. We are all tired and ready to be done, but the virus doesn't care. Please be on your guard — small efforts have a big impact!"

The state health department reported 489 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 23 deaths Wednesday, bringing the total numbers to 20,641 cases and 938 deaths.

Hospitalizations resulting from the virus have begun to rise again after showing marked improvement just three weeks ago. Total hospital admissions of patients with confirmed infections dropped from 476 to 358 from May 27 to June 6. Since then, that number has crept back up to 466. Another 202 admitted patients have suspected infections.

The amount of patients requiring a bed in an intensive care unit has remained flat, hovering between 135 and 161 for weeks. However, data show the number of Mississippians on ventilators has jumped from 69 to 100 over the past 10 days after it had dropped from a high of 110 on May 30.

State Health Official Thomas Dobbs said Monday hospitals are taking on a "big challenge" due to the increase in Coronavirus patients combined with regular hospital utilization.

"I get calls every day from people saying ‘Hey, the ICU is full, what can we do?'" Dobbs said. "The only way to keep it from (seeing more ICU patients) in there is to stop transmission. No amount of planning can overcome massive numbers of Coronavirus, which we may very well have in the fall."



Increases in the number of positive tests has been attributed to an increase in testing in the past, but Dobbs said community spread is the real culprit.

At his Monday briefing, Reeves said he wouldn't rule out issuing a new executive order limiting the movements of Mississippians or how businesses can operate if he thinks it's in public's best interest.

Current state guidelines recommend businesses limit the number of customers to 50 percent of normal capacity. In addition, restaurants and bars are being asked to keep parties or groups separated by a minimum of six feet, screen employees for symptoms daily and require them to cover their mouth and nose when serving the public.

While youth sports have been allowed to resume play under the current guidelines, participants must also be screened for symptoms, concession stands must remain closed and fans are advised to maintain six feet of separation.

Social gatherings indoors are still limited to 20 people if social distancing cannot be assured and 50 if it can. Likewise, outdoor gatherings should be limited to 50 people with proper distancing and 100 without it.

The state is also advising citizens in Holmes, Neshoba, Jasper, Lauderdale and Wayne counties to limit gatherings to 10 or fewer inside and 20 or fewer outside. Residents there are also being asked to wear masks "at all times in public or places of business."

Madison County still has the second-most cases among Mississippi's 82 counties. The department of health reported 17 new identified cases here on Wednesday, bringing the total since March 11 to 922. The county has also reported 31 deaths as a result of the virus. Nursing home cases account for 102 of those cases and 16 deaths.






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