chart

State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said on Thursday that Mississippi is seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases.

“We’re seeing near record high case numbers. The consistency is pretty astounding,” he said in a Facebook Live video. “We’re seeing extreme stress in the health care system.”

He said parties and indoor social events are “a dangerous endeavor right now.”

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported on Friday 1,305 new cases of COVID-19 statewide and five additional deaths, bringing the state’s totals to 131,970 cases and 3,519 COVID-19 related deaths since March.

In Lauderdale County, the department reported 49 new cases of COVID-19 and no additional deaths, bringing the county’s totals to 2,978 cases and 141 deaths.

In Newton County, 11 new cases were reported; 957 cases has been reported since March. No new deaths were reported; the county has had 29 COVID-19 related deaths since March.

In Kemper County, two new cases were reported; 356 cases have been reported since March. No new deaths were reported; 15 deaths have been reported since March.

Clarke County reported four new cases; 838 cases have been reported since March. No new deaths were reported; the county has had 53 COVID-19 related deaths since March.

In Neshoba County, 16 new cases were reported, bringing the case total to 2,019. No new deaths were reported; 111 deaths have been reported since March.

The Department of Health presumes 111,430 people have recovered from COVID-19. The department also reported that there are 140 ongoing outbreaks of COVID-19 in long-term-care facilities.

On Oct. 30, Mayor Percy Bland extended the City of Meridian’s mask mandate until Nov. 30.

Lauderdale County is also on a list of 15 counties in the state that have additional COVID-19 safety measures. People in the county must wear a mask when they are indoors and interacting with the public, but cannot social distance.

Indoor social gatherings in the county must be limited to 10 people and outdoor social gatherings must be limited to 50.

Clarification: In a report on Thursday, Nov. 12, The Meridian Star erroneously described the number of counties that have had additional COVID-19 safety measures. The above report includes the correct number of counties that currently have restrictions. 

case count

County	Total Cases	Total Deaths	Total LTC Facility Cases	Total LTC Facility Deaths
Adams	1214	47	64	14
Alcorn	1285	21	87	9
Amite	455	14	15	2
Attala	935	27	93	20
Benton	436	16	44	8
Bolivar	2232	82	220	30
Calhoun	677	13	25	4
Carroll	624	13	45	9
Chickasaw	953	31	47	14
Choctaw	254	7	1	0
Claiborne	559	16	43	9
Clarke	838	53	93	27
Clay	797	25	20	3
Coahoma	1347	37	112	7
Copiah	1494	38	72	9
Covington	1096	31	65	14
De Soto	8656	86	101	20
Forrest	3365	83	177	41
Franklin	274	3	4	1
George	1143	21	36	6
Greene	543	19	40	6
Grenada	1294	43	114	21
Hancock	1037	34	57	8
Harrison	6331	100	299	35
Hinds	8846	184	484	80
Holmes	1190	60	102	20
Humphreys	495	18	29	7
Issaquena	108	4	0	0
Itawamba	1336	32	89	17
Jackson	5640	105	113	12
Jasper	763	20	1	0
Jefferson	298	11	13	3
Jefferson Davis	494	15	8	1
Jones	3207	85	187	38
Kemper	356	15	41	9
Lafayette	2817	45	123	28
Lamar	2567	46	42	11
Lauderdale	2978	141	298	76
Lawrence	617	14	26	2
Leake	1249	43	42	7
Lee	4290	87	195	39
Leflore	1891	88	194	47
Lincoln	1587	64	162	36
Lowndes	2085	62	102	33
Madison	4244	97	250	45
Marion	1027	46	92	15
Marshall	1807	38	59	13
Monroe	1726	76	172	52
Montgomery	652	23	53	9
Neshoba	2019	111	132	39
Newton	957	29	40	10
Noxubee	640	17	21	4
Oktibbeha	2221	58	193	31
Panola	1928	43	60	8
Pearl River	1301	64	99	23
Perry	581	24	20	7
Pike	1503	58	98	27
Pontotoc	1762	24	19	2
Prentiss	1273	23	54	4
Quitman	448	7	0	0
Rankin	4702	89	183	23
Scott	1370	29	22	3
Sharkey	293	16	43	8
Simpson	1336	52	122	19
Smith	657	16	55	8
Stone	608	14	57	9
Sunflower	1776	54	84	15
Tallahatchie	914	27	29	7
Tate	1464	44	68	16
Tippah	1088	28	61	3
Tishomingo	954	41	96	26
Tunica	566	18	15	2
Union	1435	25	46	11
Walthall	697	27	67	13
Warren	1638	56	125	26
Washington	2860	105	181	39
Wayne	1090	22	59	10
Webster	396	14	52	11
Wilkinson	359	22	20	5
Winston	993	22	44	11
Yalobusha	626	25	79	17
Yazoo	1406	36	136	14
Total	131,970	3,519	7,131	1,368