COVID-19 hospitalization continues to rise in Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi reported record high numbers Wednesday for people hospitalized with the new coronavirus.

And, for the third time, the state reported a single-day increase of more than 1,000 cases of the highly contagious virus.

Gov. Tate Reeves and the state health officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, have been imploring people to take precautions, including wearing masks in public.

Mississippi has a population of about 3 million. The Health Department said Wednesday that the state has had at least 38,567 confirmed cases and at least 1,290 deaths from the coronavirus as of Tuesday evening. That was an increase of 1,025 cases and 18 deaths from numbers reported the day before; the death numbers include seven that occurred between July 2 and 7 and were reported when information arrived from death certificates.

The department said Wednesday that 1,099 people were hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases of the virus. That is up from 664 on June 22.

At least 3,054 cases of the virus have been confirmed in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, with at least 622 virus-related deaths in those facilities, the department said.

The true number of virus infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick. While most people who contract the coronavirus recover after suffering only mild to moderate symptoms, it can be deadly for older patients and those with other health problems.