Mississippi hospitals report ‘overwhelming’ number of coronavirus patients
Published 5:09 pm Wednesday, December 23, 2020
The number of COVID-19 coronavirus patients in state hospitals soared to a new record, the state reported.
The number of test-confirmed COVID-19 coronavirus patients hit 1,312 on Tuesday with 339 of those patients requiring critical care and using ICU beds.
“The numbers are staggering and overwhelming Mississippi hospitals,” Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs wrote on social media Wednesday afternoon. “Critical that holiday gatherings conducted in a manner that recognizes anyone we encounter could be contagious with COVID-19.”
Mississippi reported its third-highest number of new coronavirus patients found in a single day on Wednesday.
More than 200,000 cases have been confirmed in the state and health officials say more than 4,500 of those patients have died as a result of the virus.