Source: Mississippi State Department of Health

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported Saturday 3,203 new cases of COVID-19 and 46 new related deaths, 22 of which were deaths that occurred between Jan. 1-Friday.

In addition, 24 of those related deaths occurred between Nov. 29-Jan. 4, identified from death certificate reports, including one from Neshoba County.

Lauderdale County reported 77 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 5,428 cases and 173 related deaths since the state began tracking the novel coronavirus in March. Other COVID-19 cases and related deaths in local counties:

•In Clarke County, 26 new cases were reported, for a total of 1,302 cases and 60 related deaths.

•In Kemper County, five new cases were reported, for a total of 732 cases and 19 related deaths.

•In Neshoba County, 14 new cases were reported, for a total of 3,201 and 148 related deaths.

•In Newton County, 22 new cases were reported, for a total of 1,752 cases and 41 related deaths.

A total of 236,868 cases of COVID-19 and 5,146 related deaths have been recorded by MSDH since March. Through Jan. 3, 182,103 people are presumed to have recovered from the virus.

As of Friday, Anderson Regional Medical Center reported nine adult COVID-19 patients in the ICU, with four adult ICU beds available out of 29. Rush Foundation Hospital reported eight adult COVID-19 patients in the ICU, with no adult ICU beds available out of 23.

State leaders announced on Friday that they plan to double the number of vaccination sites in the state.

Mississippi also plans to double the number of days those sites are open and double the number of appointments at each site per day, Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement on Friday.

Reeves said the vaccine rollout in Mississippi is not going “nearly fast enough.”

The measures Reeves announced would make the state’s maximum possible number of appointments increase from 8,000 to 30,000 over the coming days, he said.

The Mississippi State Department of Health announced on Wednesday that people in the state who are 75 years and older are now eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The state will also continue to vaccinate health care workers and long-term care residents and staff. 

Mississippi allows people to sign up for a vaccination appointment at a drive-thru site by visiting COVIDvaccine.umc.edu or by calling (877) 978-6453. Reeves said the state is increasing the capacity of the call center.

“Elderly Mississippians—most vulnerable to the virus—can’t rely on apps and social media,” he said.

During a Mississippi State Medical Association COVID-19 update call, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said that in addition to the drive-thru vaccination sites, there are also private clinics and hospitals in the state that will offer vaccines to people 75 years or older.

Cumulative cases and deaths by county

County	Total Cases	Total Deaths	Total LTC Facility Cases	Total LTC Facility Deaths
Adams	1924	64	72	15
Alcorn	2469	45 *	127	19
Amite	931	25	54	7
Attala	1865	55 *	171	34
Benton	770	22	45	10
Bolivar	3796	101	223	30
Calhoun	1279	19	25	4
Carroll	1003	18	46	9
Chickasaw	1746	42	53	15
Choctaw	569	12	1	0
Claiborne	790	22	44	9
Clarke	1302	60	110	30
Clay	1480	31 *	24	3
Coahoma	2119	53	127	11
Copiah	2306	47	75	9
Covington	2019	68	135	39
De Soto	16090	152	111	22
Forrest	5667	110	224	48
Franklin	638	12	40	2
George	1841	37	48	7
Greene	1045	27	52	6
Grenada	2082	67	155	32
Hancock	2320	56 *	69	14
Harrison	12085	172 *	477	59
Hinds	15180	295	761	110
Holmes	1646	67	103	20
Humphreys	784	22	33	8
Issaquena	154	6	0	0
Itawamba	2486	56	124	22
Jackson	9522	166	215	28
Jasper	1586	31	35	2
Jefferson	504	17	30	4
Jefferson Davis	815	24	8	1
Jones	5825	101	215	41
Kemper	732	19	44	9
Lafayette	4633	87	187	52
Lamar	4562	61	52	13
Lauderdale	5428	173	407	88
Lawrence	971	17	27	2
Leake	2211	60	88	12
Lee	8403	133	214	41
Leflore	2890	104	233	50
Lincoln	2818	81	170	36
Lowndes	4976	98	210	44
Madison	7796	151	351	66
Marion	1948	69	157	22
Marshall	3211	63	64	15
Monroe	3369	96	189	53
Montgomery	1050	32	54	9
Neshoba	3201	148	197	56
Newton	1752	41	86	14
Noxubee	1047	20	32	4
Oktibbeha	3751	78	212	35
Panola	3455	73	102	13
Pearl River	2999	89	158	31
Perry	947	31	21	7
Pike	2437	75	119	34
Pontotoc	3424	49	37	4
Prentiss	2330	47	99	15
Quitman	637	7	0	0
Rankin	9872	186 *	364	53
Scott	2304	42	39	4
Sharkey	410	17	43	8
Simpson	2234	66	152	19
Smith	1132	20	58	8
Stone	1335	18	83	9
Sunflower	2689	67	111	16
Tallahatchie	1321	33	43	7
Tate	2549	58	80	19
Tippah	2206	43	101	5
Tishomingo	1724	56	101	27
Tunica	806	20	18	2
Union	3205	54	117	19
Walthall	1073	36	67	13
Warren	3166	88	163	37
Washington	4621	119	188	39
Wayne	1864	27	69	11
Webster	865	23 *	58	11
Wilkinson	558	24	24	5
Winston	1937	59	114	32
Yalobusha	1095	34	81	22
Yazoo	2286	52	139	18
Total	236,868	5,146	9,755	1,779