‘It’s working,’ health officer says as Mississippi reports lowest new coronavirus cases since early July
Published 1:53 pm Sunday, August 16, 2020
Mississippi reported its lowest number of new daily coronavirus cases in more than a month Sunday, prompting the state’s top health officer to say, “It’s working,” about measures to curb the spread.
Mississippi State Department of Health officials announced 381 new coronavirus cases Sunday, the lowest number reported on a single day since early July.
Sunday was also the eighth-straight day the 7-day average of new cases declined.
“Don’t lose focus (masks, 6ft, small groups),” Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs wrote Sunday on Twitter. “It’s working! #MaskUpMS”
The state also reported 4 more deaths from the prior day. One death reported on Sunday actually occurred on August 7, the state said.
The total number of deaths reported in August — which includes some delayed cases from prior months — appears to be on track to set a new monthly record. With August approximately half over, August’s 418 reported deaths are on track to top July’s record 593 deaths.
In total, 72,136 cases have been found in the state since March. The state believes nearly 50,000 of those cases have recovered.
A total of 2,085 people in Mississippi have died as a result of coronavirus, the state reported.
The 7-day and 14-day averages of new cases continued to decline, indicating that the state’s measures aimed at slowing the virus’ spread may be working.
The 7-day, daily average of new cases dropped to 709 with Sunday’s update.
The 14-day, daily average dropped to 827 cases per day.
Totals of all reported COVID-19 cases for 2020, including those in long-term care (LTC) facilities.
The numbers in this table are provisional. County case numbers and deaths may change as investigation finds new or additional information. The data provided below is the most current available.
County | Total Cases | Total Deaths |
Adams | 668 | 28 |
Alcorn | 457 | 5 |
Amite | 248 | 6 |
Attala | 551 | 25 |
Benton | 166 | 1 |
Bolivar | 1221 | 40 |
Calhoun | 433 | 9 |
Carroll | 267 | 11 |
Chickasaw | 513 | 19 |
Choctaw | 141 | 4 |
Claiborne | 414 | 14 |
Clarke | 369 | 28 |
Clay | 417 | 14 |
Coahoma | 817 | 13 |
Copiah | 985 | 30 |
Covington | 664 | 16 |
De Soto | 3911 | 34 |
Forrest | 1914 | 57 |
Franklin | 152 | 2 |
George | 638 | 9 |
Greene | 276 | 13 |
Grenada | 869 | 27 |
Hancock | 425 | 15 |
Harrison | 2788 | 37 |
Hinds | 5902 | 128 |
Holmes | 951 | 50 |
Humphreys | 312 | 12 |
Issaquena | 28 | 2 |
Itawamba | 424 | 10 |
Jackson | 2462 | 47 |
Jasper | 429 | 11 |
Jefferson | 198 | 8 |
Jefferson Davis | 254 | 6 |
Jones | 1987 | 65 |
Kemper | 250 | 14 |
Lafayette | 1065 | 21 |
Lamar | 1291 | 20 |
Lauderdale | 1493 | 98 |
Lawrence | 342 | 8 |
Leake | 811 | 27 |
Lee | 1724 | 43 |
Leflore | 990 | 70 |
Lincoln | 876 | 45 |
Lowndes | 1140 | 42 |
Madison | 2556 | 74 |
Marion | 708 | 21 |
Marshall | 768 | 10 |
Monroe | 873 | 55 |
Montgomery | 366 | 10 |
Neshoba | 1328 | 96 |
Newton | 587 | 12 |
Noxubee | 484 | 12 |
Oktibbeha | 1178 | 41 |
Panola | 1140 | 18 |
Pearl River | 601 | 41 |
Perry | 260 | 8 |
Pike | 982 | 38 |
Pontotoc | 888 | 9 |
Prentiss | 497 | 11 |
Quitman | 278 | 1 |
Rankin | 2429 | 42 |
Scott | 1032 | 21 |
Sharkey | 218 | 7 |
Simpson | 858 | 36 |
Smith | 421 | 13 |
Stone | 255 | 6 |
Sunflower | 1115 | 29 |
Tallahatchie | 568 | 11 |
Tate | 773 | 30 |
Tippah | 438 | 14 |
Tishomingo | 469 | 12 |
Tunica | 381 | 8 |
Union | 763 | 19 |
Walthall | 525 | 22 |
Warren | 1179 | 37 |
Washington | 1817 | 46 |
Wayne | 809 | 21 |
Webster | 257 | 13 |
Wilkinson | 234 | 14 |
Winston | 652 | 18 |
Yalobusha | 326 | 10 |
Yazoo | 890 | 14 |
Total | 72,136 | 2,084 |