Marion Town Hall will be closed through the week after cases of COVID-19 were detected among town staff.

Mayor Larry Gill said the building would be closed to the public beginning Wednesday and lasting through the remainder of the week. Town Hall, he said, would reopen to the public Tuesday, Feb. 1.

Marion will continue to provide services through the closure, Gill said, with payments and documents being accepted through the drop box at Town Hall. Residents needing to pay water bills will also be able to pay online at marionms.org.

Residents needing assistance from the Town Hall or the water department can call 601-483-9573, Gill said. In an emergency, call 911.

The closure comes as Mississippi continues to struggle with a wave of infections brought on by the Omicron variant.

State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs, on Wednesday, released a video explaining where the state stood in its fight against COVID-19.

“One of our biggest problems right now is stress on the health systems and hospitals,” he said.

Cases and hospitalizations have declined slightly in recent days, Dobbs said, but infections and the demand for treatment remain high.

“We continue to see very severe stresses on our ICU systems,” he said. “We are at negative bed capacity in the state of Mississippi.”

Mississippi Department of Health reported an additional 6,596 cases and 19 deaths on Wednesday, bring the total numbers to 705,598 cases and 10,774 deaths since the pandemic began. Lauderdale County has reported 16,774 cases and 326 deaths since early 2020.

Vaccinations continue to be the primary tool to fight COVID-19 infections, and with the Omicron variant, booster doses play an additional role.

Dobbs said booster doses are 90% effective at preventing hospitalizations from Omicron, but of the Mississippians eligible, just 35% have received their booster dose.

Vaccination and testing appointments are widely available throughout the state. Information about testing locations and appointments can be found at covidschedule.umc.edu. To make an appointment for the vaccine, visit vaccines.gov.