There is enormous pressure on medical facilities as COVID-19 cases that require hospitalization increase each day. Daily, an average of 2,000 cases are reported in the state of which 144 people per day are being hospitalized.

“In our projections it’s continuing to increase with no real demonstration of leveling off or decreasing, “said State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs.

On Aug. 4 there were 178 reported cases. Many hospitals have reached a zero ICU capacity due to the large amount of daily cases.

Currently there are 1,147 people in hospitals statewide with COVID, 299 are in ICU and 150 are on ventilators. Dobbs said 97 percent of all new cases and 85 percent of the deaths are occurring in people who are unvaccinated.

“On average unvaccinated people will spread COVID to eight to nine people. But if a vaccinated person gets COVID it will not be spread to those eight to nine people. That’s the real power of the vaccination,” said Dobbs.

Cases since July 8-21 total 9,837. From July 22 – Aug. 4 the total cases have more than doubled, reaching 21,298.

Over the last couple weeks Mississippi has administered about 53,000 vaccines. The majority of those vaccinated were individuals getting their first shots.

“People are now understanding the importance of getting the vaccine,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers. As a state, Mississippi has administered over 16,000 vaccines in one day. On average, Mississippi has a 35 percent vaccination rate. Hospital staff hope to see the vaccination rate increase and encourage people who haven’t been vaccinated to do so.