Over 5,000 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Friday

Over 5,000 new COVID-19 cases are being reported by the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) for Friday.

The MSDH reports 5,023 new cases and 31 new deaths, bringing the state’s totals to 381,147 presumed positive cases since March of 2020 and 7,761 COVID-19 related deaths.

Reports from the MSDH show that 98% of the cases being reported are from those not vaccinated. Of those cases, 90% of the hospitalization rates are among the non-vaccinated.

(Source: MSDH)

The increase in cases and hospitalizations has placed a strain on the healthcare system. According to state health officials, the Delta variant accounts for almost all new COVID-19 infections throughout the state.

(Source: MSDH)

The University of Mississippi Medical Center is hosting a federally staffed field hospital to help treat COVID-19 patients from the UMMC parking garage. This hopes to offer some relief to UMMC’s Emergency Department. The MSDH, Office of the Governor, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and UMMC requested aid from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to assist with the strain on the healthcare facilities.

“Our biggest pain point is the nursing staff available,” stated Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine. “It will be substantial assistance.”

The field hospital will deploy federal employees such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists and respiratory therapists to assist patients.