Along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, daily coronavirus cases are on the rise, the highest in six months, in fact, while vaccination rates in Mississsippi remain the lowest in the nation.
As a result, the Mississippi State Department of Health issued new advisories for those most susceptible: Get vaccinated or wear a mask.
The increase in the number of cases is translating into more COVID-19 patients at local hospitals along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Health officials attribute the current surge to the highly contagious delta variant of the virus and the low vaccination rate. The overwhelming majority of new cases, authorities say, involve unvaccinated individuals.
Because of the resurgence of cases, the highest seen since January, the state health department recommends that all Mississippians age 12 and older receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Those unvaccinated should wear a mask when indoors in public settings, and those ages 65 and older as well as those with chronic underlaying medical conditions should avoid all indoor mass gatherings regardless of vaccination status.
