Pike County saw 10 new confirmed coronavirus infections, one new death and one new outbreak at a long term care facility Wednesday morning. Lincoln County also saw a sharp jump in cases, with 25 being confirmed on Wednesday.
Also, Pike County supervisors extended their executive order, including a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew, which was set to expire Friday. The extension will run concurrently with the governor’s order, which is currently set to expire Monday.
State health officials reported 273 new COVID-19 cases and 11 new deaths statewide Wednesday. The state has 3,360 confirmed cases and 122 deaths since March 11.
Cases in Pike County increased to 72 Wednesday with two deaths and a new long-term care facility outbreak, bringing the total to two.
The county has seen 33 confirmed cases since Friday, according to state health department data.
Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center CEO Charla Rowley said the hospital had tested 420 people between network facilities, which include the Lawrence County Hospital and other clinics — an increase of 21 from Tuesday — 74 of whom tested positive. That represents an increase of five positive cases since Tuesday.
Of patients who tested positive, three were being treated in the hospital but have since been released to isolation. Seven others are being treated in the hospital. Another 62 are under quarantine as they wait on their results after being tested at the hospital’s drive-thru clinic at 1506 Harrison Ave. Five other hospital patients are suspected of having the virus but are awaiting results.
McComb Family Practice and Premier Medical Clinic will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday for people who need to see doctor for non-COVID-19 medical matters. Appointments will be conducted only by telemedicine on Fridays.
Statewide demographic data continue to highlight racial disparities in terms of which Mississippians are diagnosed with coronavirus. More than half of all cases are diagnosed among African Americans while roughly a third are among whites and 7% are attributed to other races. Among patients who have died, 66% were African American.
Underlying health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension and obesity, exacerbate bad health outcomes among African Americans at a higher rate than whites, according to state data.
Coronavirus cases among 40- to 80-year-olds make up the bulk of cases statewide, but there’s been significant transmission among younger patients as well. About half of hospitalized patients are between the ages of 60 and 80.
Walthall County’s confirmed cases remained at 22 Wednesday.
Amite County’s cases increased by one to 15, with one previously reported death and an outbreak at a long term care facility.
Franklin County remained at 10 cases and Lawrence County remained at seven.
Wilkinson County, hit early and hard, reported two new cases for a total of 51 on Wednesday. Three deaths and a long term care facility outbreak were previously reported in the county.
Wilkinson County will be the site of a one-day virus drive-thru testing location, according to University of Mississippi Medical Center and the Mississippi State Department of Health officials. Testing will be available today at the Wilkinson County Emergency Management Agency, 1495 Highway 61 S., Woodville. In order to be tested, patients must undergo a screening and receive an appointment beforehand.
The state’s public health lab has tested 9,412 people as of April 12 and private laboratories have tested 28,321 people for a total of 37,733.
There were more than 2 million confirmed cases worldwide Wednesday morning and 128,071 deaths.
In neighboring Louisiana, Washington Parish had 162 cases and 95 deaths, Tangipahoa Parish had 391 cases and 11 deaths, St. Helena Parish had 14 cases and no deaths and East Feliciana Parish had 77 cases and four deaths.
Mississippi remains under a statewide stay-at-home order in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus. Health officials are allowing people to venture outside to procure essential goods and services, but are recommending they wear face masks when they leave their homes.
