Source: Mississippi State Department of Health

On Tuesday, the Mississippi State Department of Health started requiring hospitals to delay some elective surgeries.

Mississippi has seen increasing COVID-19 hospitalizations in recent weeks. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs first announced the elective surgery restrictions in a tweet on Friday. He said at a Monday press briefing that hospitals in the state are “absolutely packed,” especially ICU services.

His order makes hospitals postpone some elective procedures that require overnight hospitalization. Dobbs said on Monday that he is restricting elective surgeries for which a delay would not result in long-term harm to the individual. Non-urgent orthopedic surgeries, for example, must be delayed, but most cancer procedures do not need to be postponed.

The order, which goes into effect on Tuesday, lasts until December 23.

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 2,205 new COVID-19 cases and 48 new deaths in the state on Tuesday, bringing the state’s totals to 183,300 cases and 4,252 deaths.

In Lauderdale County, 48 new cases were reported, bringing the county’s total to 4,268 cases. The county reported two new deaths, which occurred between December 8 and 14. 159 total deaths have been reported in the county.

Mississippi State Department of Health officials received the first COVID-19 vaccinations in the state during a press briefing on Monday.

Dobbs said before he was vaccinated that he might experience some swelling after receiving the shot and possibly will feel “a little bit of achiness” the following day.

“But that’s so much worth it,” he said. “We know how deadly, devastating and disruptive coronavirus has been for the state of Mississippi, so we look forward in the next several minutes to get the first COVID-19 vaccines in the state of Mississippi.”

In addition to Dobbs, state epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers and three other health officials were vaccinated during the press conference.

COVID-19 case and death numbers for several local counties are listed below.

Newton County: nine new cases; 1,336 total cases since March. One new death, which was identified from death certificate reports and which occurred between November 25 and December 10; 32 total deaths since March.

Kemper County: two new cases; 604 total cases. No new deaths; 19 total deaths.

Clarke County: five new cases; 1,051 total cases. No new deaths; 55 total deaths.

Neshoba County: 31 new cases; 2,614 total cases. No new deaths; 132 total deaths since March.

MSDH presumes 148,466 people have recovered from COVID-19. The department also reported that there are 236 ongoing outbreaks of COVID-19 in long-term-care facilities.

Gov. Tate Reeves has placed restrictions on the state to slow the spread of the coronavirus. 

At indoor social gatherings where social distancing is not possible, crowds must be limited to no more than 10 people in a single space, Reeves announced on Dec. 9. At outdoor social gatherings, no more than 50 people can gather in close proximity to each other.

Reeves is also requiring people in 61 counties — including Lauderdale, Kemper and Neshoba counties — to wear a face covering when indoors and interacting with the public.

The City of Meridian is under a mask mandate, which lasts until the end of the year.

COVID-19 data for Mississippi counties

County	Total Cases	Total Deaths	Total LTC Facility Cases	Total LTC Facility Deaths
Adams	1630	52	72	14
Alcorn	1853	36	116	17
Amite	757	16	52	3
Attala	1445	43	159	28
Benton	573	19	45	10
Bolivar	2857	90	224	30
Calhoun	921	15	25	4
Carroll	855	17	46	9
Chickasaw	1307	35	48	14
Choctaw	431	10	1	0
Claiborne	621	16	43	9
Clarke	1051	55	95	27
Clay	1110	28	20	3
Coahoma	1754	47	127	11
Copiah	1962	42	72	9
Covington	1602	62	105	34
De Soto	12217	115	103	20
Forrest	4538	93	190	42
Franklin	470	6	4	1
George	1501	30	47	7
Greene	888	25	48	6
Grenada	1729	51	137	24
Hancock	1539	46	69	12
Harrison	8915	127	423	45
Hinds	12069	227	576	89
Holmes	1478	63	103	20
Humphreys	641	21	33	8
Issaquena	133	4	0	0
Itawamba	1872	43	108	19
Jackson	7565	142	206	23
Jasper	1085	24	9	0
Jefferson	428	12	15	3
Jefferson Davis	675	21	8	1
Jones	4417	91	195	38
Kemper	604	19	43	9
Lafayette	3700	67	153	41
Lamar	3511	52	44	12
Lauderdale	4268	159	346	85
Lawrence	838	15	27	2
Leake	1647	45	53	7
Lee	6422	105	203	40
Leflore	2337	97	197	48
Lincoln	2223	73	166	36
Lowndes	3380	73	137	37
Madison	5997	122	299	57
Marion	1480	54	143	18
Marshall	2543	57	61	15
Monroe	2504	81	176	53
Montgomery	893	30	54	9
Neshoba	2614	132	176	54
Newton	1336	32	64	11
Noxubee	826	17	21	4
Oktibbeha	2915	65	202	31
Panola	2754	67	76	13
Pearl River	2045	73	134	25
Perry	754	28	20	7
Pike	1907	64	99	27
Pontotoc	2591	33	20	3
Prentiss	1779	39	97	14
Quitman	548	7	0	0
Rankin	7366	132	286	37
Scott	1851	33	35	3
Sharkey	357	17	43	8
Simpson	1723	54	142	19
Smith	867	17	55	8
Stone	987	17	63	9
Sunflower	2145	57	89	15
Tallahatchie	1106	28	33	7
Tate	2113	53	74	18
Tippah	1651	36	63	4
Tishomingo	1337	47	97	26
Tunica	672	19	15	2
Union	2273	27	64	11
Walthall	883	32	67	13
Warren	2187	67	154	31
Washington	3697	109	187	39
Wayne	1472	25	65	10
Webster	616	16	55	11
Wilkinson	486	22	21	5
Winston	1549	41	91	25
Yalobusha	849	30	81	22
Yazoo	1808	43	138	16
Total	183,300	4,252	8,453	1,577