As reported Tuesday by the Mississippi Department of Health, there were 22,456 new cases of COVID-19 infections, with 17 new deaths, in a 49 percent “fully vaccinated” Mississippi population. By Wednesday, there were 8,460 new cases and 48 deaths.

For the week Jan. 11-17, there were 48,316 new Mississippi cases reported and 79 deaths in the state. The total cases so far for Mississippi is 665,544 cases with 10,690 total deaths from the virus.

In long-term care facilities, there were 302 current active outbreaks Tuesday and 308 Wednesday. The MDHS stated an outbreak is considered any confirmed COVID-19 case among LTC facility residents or employees.

In the state as of Jan. 18, there were 1,423 patients currently hospitalized for confirmed COVID-19 and 286 patients currently in intensive care for confirmed COVID-19.

As of Jan. 10, Lincoln County had 630 new cases, an 11 percent rise. However, there have been no “outbreaks” in Lincoln County so far this month.

More than 1,470,000 people have now been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in Mississippi, according to MDHS. MDHS offers the following suggestions on how to keep you and your family safe:

• Be vaccinated and get a booster.Vaccination is the most powerful step you can take to resume normal community life and stop unnecessary deaths. Booster doses are important to extend your immune protection.
• Be tested for COVID-19 if you have symptoms or believe you may have been exposed. See the guide to local testing providers and free testing at http://HealthyMS.com/covid19test.
• Be treated with monoclonal antibody treatment if you have tested positive and may be at risk for serious illness.
• If you are unvaccinated, wear a mask whenever you are indoors and away from home.
• Keep gatherings small and maintain a healthy distance as often as possible.
• If you are over 65 or have a chronic illness, avoid all large indoor gatherings, even if you are vaccinated.