Nearly three and half years after COVID-19 hit Mississippi, the state has surpassed the one million mark in recorded cases.
The latest weekly report of 800 cases from the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) brings the state’s total number of cases to 1,000,415. With four additional deaths, 13,474 Mississippi residents have now passed away due to the virus.
“As we cross the threshold of one million of our people having been infected with the virus and many of those still dealing with chronic aftereffects, our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones or have experienced suffering,” Dr. Jennifer Bryan, former chairman of the Mississippi State Medical Association, said. “We continue to celebrate brighter times as we emerge from the throes of the pandemic and are able to enjoy time together again.”
While just 53 percent of Mississippians were fully vaccinated as of the MSDH’s most recent update, Bryan encourages people to stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccine doses as the state returns to pre-pandemic lifestyle.
“By being vaccinated against the virus with antivirals and other tools available for us to acute infections, the viral threat remains with us now is largely manageable, and we’ll be able to enjoy living and raising our families in Mississippi for years to come,” she said.
The Magnolia State joins 28 others in surpassing 1 million COVID-19 cases. The full MSDH report can be viewed here.