MISSISSIPPI CORONAVIRUS DASHBOARD JULY 22, 2020 Mississippi has entered a pandemic “red zone” as the COVID-19 surge accelerated into July. Mississippi is in the top five in the nation in new cases and new deaths on a daily and weekly basis as of today. Since it began to reopen, Mississippi has risen to 9th in cases and 13th in deaths. (All rankings are per capita.) Mississippi’s percent positivity rate currently is 18%, over three times higher than the recommended goal. ❶
New reported cases per day
❷ Hot spots for COVID-19 cases have expanded beyond central Mississippi into the Delta and southern counties. NYT
New reported deaths per day
Charts and rankings: Washington Post. NYT
Cases and deaths have spread beyond central Mississippi. In the past week, hot spots have arisen in the Delta and southeast Mississippi. ❷
Cases
Deaths
MS is 2nd in rate of tests, cases, and deaths in Deep South. ❸ Population (millions)
Cases - hot spots
Tests Per 100,000 residents
cases per 100,000 residents
deaths per 100,000 residents
Rank (cases/ deaths)
LA
4.6
24,079
2130
79
1/1
MS
2.9
13,223
1575
48
2/2
AL
4.9
12,342
1447
27
5/4
GA
10.6
12,579
1479
32
4/3
SC
5.1
12,080
1514
26
3/5
MS has large racial disparities in cases and deaths. ❹ LOWER THAN SHARE OF POPULATION
CASES DEATHS
37% lower for Whites
○ ○
25% lower for Whites
○ = White population Maps: NYT
❶ Mississippi has risen to 9th in COVID-19 cases and 13th in deaths per capita, New York Times, compared to 16th in cases and deaths on April 27, when the state’s stay-athome order expired. USA Today. Since July 1, Mississippi’s rates have spiked for hospitalizations (56%), intensive care units (75%), and ventilators (51%). Mississippi Department of Health. For the past week, the state’s percent positive test rate stands at 18%, over 3 times higher than the recommended 5% rate by WHO. Washington Post, Johns Hopkins University.
HIGHER THAN SHARE OF POPULATION
46% higher for Blacks 36% higher for Blacks
● ●
● = Black population
❸ Mississippi remains second among the Deep South states in tests, cases, and deaths per capita, but has narrowed the gap with Louisiana in cases and deaths since June 10. (State Departments of Health COVID reports and Kaiser Family Foundation.)
❹ Mississippi’s racial disparities in cases and deaths have grown since July 1. For Black Mississippians, COVID-19 cases are 46% higher and deaths are 36% higher than the Black share of the state’s population. For Whites, COVID-19 cases are 37% lower and deaths are 25% lower than the White share of the state’s population. Data from Mississippi Department of Health (which excludes cases from percentages where race is unknown).
Mississippi has dropped to 25th in the nation in testing for coronavirus since July 1, with 132 tests per capita, below the national average of 143. Kaiser Family Foundation. The cumulative percent positivity rate is 12%.
For MCJ’s legal response to the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit our COVID page.