Source: Mississippi State Department of Health

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported on Thursday 28 new COVID-19 related deaths and 2,168 new cases — the second highest number of daily cases the state has reported since the pandemic began.

MSDH reported the highest number of new cases — 2,457 — on Wednesday. The state has reported 159,036 cases and 3,879 deaths since March.

State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs is advising Mississippians to only participate in work, school and other “absolutely essential” activities.

MSDH recommended on Wednesday that all Mississippi residents avoid any social gathering that includes individuals outside of one’s nuclear family or household.

The department is recommending that people avoid funerals, unless they are a member of the close family of the deceased, and is advising that the funerals are held outdoors. Other gatherings that MSDH recommends that people do not attend are social events, parties, family gatherings outside of one’s household or nuclear family, weddings, sporting events and in-person church services.

“We have seen numerous outbreaks linked to these events,” Dobb said at a Wednesday afternoon press conference. “We’ve seen these outbreak events lead to outbreaks within long-term care settings and nursing homes. And we have seen people who went to funerals last week who are on ventilators today and are likely to die.”

MSDH reported 64 new cases of COVID-19 in Lauderdale County on Thursday and no additional deaths, bringing the county’s totals to 3,727 cases and 147 COVID-19 related deaths since March.

As of December 1, Anderson Regional Medical Center had a total of 25 confirmed COVID-19 patients. 18 staffed beds were available out of 116 in the hospital. Seven adult COVID-19 patients were in the intensive care unit at Anderson; eight out of 29 total adult ICU beds were available.

Rush Foundation Hospital had a total of 23 confirmed COVID-19 patients as of December 1; 10 staffed beds were available out of 159. Seven adult COVID-19 patients were in the ICU at Rush; three out of 34 total adult ICU beds were available.

On Thursday, MSDH reported 16 new cases in Newton County, which has had a total of 1,121 cases since March. No new deaths were reported; the county has had 29 COVID-19 related deaths since March.

In Kemper County, 13 new cases were reported; 493 cases have been reported since March. No new deaths were reported; 18 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported in the county since March.

Clarke County reported eight new cases, bringing the case total to 956. No new deaths were reported; the county has had 53 COVID-19 related deaths since March.

In Neshoba County, 31 new cases were reported; the county’s case total is 2,311. No new deaths were reported; 122 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported since March.

The Department of Health presumes 128,746 people have recovered from COVID-19. The department also reported that there are 188 ongoing outbreaks of COVID-19 in long-term-care facilities.

The City of Meridian is under a mask mandate that remains in effect until the end of the year. 

Lauderdale, Neshoba and Kemper counties are on a list of 54 counties with additional COVID-19 safety measures. Indoor social gatherings in these counties must be limited to 10 people, and outdoor social gatherings must be limited to 50.

People in the counties must wear a mask when they are indoors and interacting with the public, but cannot social distance.

COVID-19 data for Mississippi counties

County	Total Cases	Total Deaths	Total LTC Facility Cases	Total LTC Facility Deaths
Adams	1483	52	67	14
Alcorn	1604	28	88	13
Amite	593	15	15	2
Attala	1247	35	126	24
Benton	505	18	44	10
Bolivar	2501	85	222	30
Calhoun	815	13	25	4
Carroll	763	15	45	9
Chickasaw	1121	32	48	14
Choctaw	369	7	1	0
Claiborne	593	16	43	9
Clarke	956	53	93	27
Clay	971	27	20	3
Coahoma	1578	44	127	11
Copiah	1725	40	71	9
Covington	1355	41	88	17
De Soto	10708	104	103	20
Forrest	4001	87	185	41
Franklin	372	6	4	1
George	1317	25	47	6
Greene	630	22	40	6
Grenada	1471	45	122	21
Hancock	1309	42	67	12
Harrison	7555	113	367	38
Hinds	10519	205	548	82
Holmes	1357	61	102	20
Humphreys	557	19	33	8
Issaquena	123	4	0	0
Itawamba	1626	37	91	17
Jackson	6708	128	184	20
Jasper	885	23	1	0
Jefferson	387	12	15	3
Jefferson Davis	602	17	8	1
Jones	3821	89	188	38
Kemper	493	18	41	9
Lafayette	3440	57	150	35
Lamar	3075	50	43	12
Lauderdale	3727	147	324	79
Lawrence	752	14	26	2
Leake	1433	44	43	7
Lee	5476	97	201	39
Leflore	2139	91	196	48
Lincoln	2008	67	166	36
Lowndes	2611	67	127	37
Madison	5202	110	297	54
Marion	1242	48	109	16
Marshall	2271	51	58	15
Monroe	2122	78	176	52
Montgomery	788	26	53	9
Neshoba	2311	122	168	46
Newton	1121	29	47	10
Noxubee	742	17	21	4
Oktibbeha	2599	62	193	31
Panola	2402	53	60	11
Pearl River	1638	70	113	24
Perry	693	26	20	7
Pike	1683	60	98	27
Pontotoc	2112	31	19	2
Prentiss	1567	32	91	10
Quitman	511	7	0	0
Rankin	6130	112	226	33
Scott	1627	30	30	3
Sharkey	331	17	43	8
Simpson	1551	53	138	19
Smith	757	16	55	8
Stone	831	15	58	9
Sunflower	1955	55	84	15
Tallahatchie	1007	27	32	7
Tate	1840	51	71	18
Tippah	1325	30	61	4
Tishomingo	1148	44	96	26
Tunica	635	19	15	2
Union	1768	26	46	11
Walthall	799	30	67	13
Warren	1849	58	127	26
Washington	3367	108	187	39
Wayne	1249	24	59	10
Webster	479	14	52	11
Wilkinson	413	22	20	5
Winston	1317	26	77	13
Yalobusha	744	28	81	20
Yazoo	1629	40	137	15
Total	159,036	3,879	7,830	1,467