Mississippi COVID-19 Update

March 17, 2021

Vaccinations

Weather cancellation today: All MSDH drive-through vaccination and testing sites have been closed today in expectation of severe weather. Vaccination appointments have been rescheduled automatically, and notifications of their new date have been sent by e-mail, text or phone message.

First dose appointments: Check the online vaccination scheduler daily, especially early in the week, when a large number of new appointments usually become available.

Second dose appointments: Look for second-dose scheduling information in your first dose confirmation e-mail. Remember that your second dose appointment should be made 3-5 weeks (for Pfizer vaccine) or 4-6 weeks (Moderna) from your first vaccination. 

Help with vaccination appointments: 877-978-6453

Eligibility: All Mississippians aged 16 or older are now eligible for vaccination. Those 18 and older may be vaccinated free of charge at MSDH drive-through sites; parents of persons 16-17 years old should call 877-978-6453 to schedule a drive-through appointment, or visit a private healthcare provider to be assured of receiving a vaccine approved for this age group. Vaccinations are provided only to Mississippi residents or to out-of-state residents who work in Mississippi.

More about vaccination providers and vaccination appointments

After you are vaccinated please continue to observe social distancing, mask use, and other protective steps. This helps prevent the possible transmission of COVID-19 to those who have not yet been vaccinated.

Mississippi COVID-19 Vaccination Report

Reported Today

New cases of COVID-19:

352

New COVID-19 related deaths:

7

Positive test results reported to MSDH as of 3 p.m. yesterday. Tests may have been made during the past week, and represent individuals who became ill a week ago or more. Repeated tests for the same individual are counted only once.

COVID-19 related deaths reported to MSDH from hospitals, medical examiners and coroners as of 3 p.m. yesterday.

4 of these deaths occurred between March 10 and March 15.

3 of these deaths occurred between January 1 and February 27, identified through death certificates.

Long-Term Care Facilities

• New LTC facility cases: 1
• New LTC facility deaths: 0

New cases and deaths, included in the total counts above, among residents of long-term care facilities.

• Active outbreaks: 43

An outbreak is considered any confirmed COVID-19 case among LTC facility residents or employees.

Hospitalizations

Mississippi hospital bed usage:

• Patients currently hospitalized for confirmed COVID-19: 295
• Patients currently in intensive care for confirmed COVID-19: 82

• Available intensive care beds statewide: 186

Explore local hospital capacity and bed use with our interactive map of hospitals

Look for the most recent COVID-19 hospitalizations chart on our website at HealthyMS.com/covid-19.

COVID-19 Hospitalizations by Date

State Totals and Trend

Totals of all Mississippi COVID-19 cases and deaths since February 2020.

• Total COVID-19 cases: 301,602
• Total COVID-19 related deaths: 6,936

Cases by Date of Illness

This chart tracks COVID-19 cases according to the date the person first became ill, rather than the date of test results. It's the standard way of following the course of a disease in a population. The black average line helps identify upward or downward trending. (In the few cases where date of illness has not yet been determined, testing date is used.) Since we are still receiving reports of illnesses that began up to two weeks ago, expect the more recent dates on this chart to change.

Deaths by Date of Occurrence

What You Can Do

• Be tested for COVID-19 if you have symptoms or believe you may have been exposed. See our guide to local testing providers and free testing at http://HealthyMS.com/covid19test
• Keep groups sizes small and avoid large gatherings, especially indoors. Many cases are now being spread through gatherings in homes without safety precautions.
• Social distancing is still critical to stop the spread of COVID-19. Keep plenty of distance between yourself and others.
• Wearing a mask or face covering can sharply reduce the risk of passing COVID-19 on to others. Wearing a mask is strong recommended whenever you are in public places with others around you.
• Most people spreading COVID-19 do not know they are infected.
• Remind others that precautions remain essential, and set an example by your actions.

More Data and Information

• Vaccinations against COVID-19
• COVID-19 cases, data and statistics
• Guidance and preventive measures
• Find COVID-19 testing near you
• General COVID-19 information
• Mississippi COVID-19 Hotline: 877-978-6453 
  7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week