Mississippi’s 7-day average of new COVID-19 coronavirus cases continues to decline this week, the state reported Thursday, which may be due in part to increased vaccinations and the fact that the more contagious UK-variant isn’t widespread in the state yet.

Mississippi State Department of Health officials said 240 new cases were found in the last 24 hours. Thursday’s additional cases bring the total number of cases found in the state since the pandemic began to 306,851.

Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs wrote on social media that despite the UK variant, properly referenced as strain B117, becoming the predominant version of coronavirus across the country, that variant has yet to be widespread in Mississippi.

“B117 now most common COVID-19 variant in the US,” Dobbs wrote on Twitter Thursday morning. “Only (approximately) 8 percent of MS cases due to B117. That could change quickly. Be safe. Get immunized.”

Through Thursday morning, a growing number of Mississippi residents have taken the advice and received one of the COVID-19 vaccines available.

Approximately 26 percent of the state’s population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, the state reported. More than 580,000 residents are fully vaccinated, the state said.

For more detailed county-by-county vaccination results visit: https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/resources/12130.pdf

The Mississippi State Health Department reported five new deaths on Thursday, bringing the total death toll to 7,082.

The 7-day, daily average of new cases decreased slightly to 205 on Thursday. The last time the 7-day, daily average was lower was April 18, 2021, when the average was at 190.

The 14-day, daily average of new cases dropped slightly to 208 with Thursday’s update.

Cumulative Cases and Deaths by County

Totals of all reported COVID-19 cases, including those in long-term care (LTC) facilities.

The numbers in this table are provisional. County case numbers and deaths may change as investigation finds new or additional information.

County	Total Cases	Total Deaths	Total LTC Facility Cases	Total LTC Facility Deaths
Adams	2442	82	83	16
Alcorn	2974	64	130	20
Amite	1198	40	55	9
Attala	2130	73	175	36
Benton	970	25	46	10
Bolivar	4767	129	232	31
Calhoun	1630	30	36	6
Carroll	1207	26	51	10
Chickasaw	2048	57	60	15
Choctaw	726	16	1	0
Claiborne	1012	30	45	9
Clarke	1762	75	123	31
Clay	1823	54	38	5
Coahoma	2892	77	129	12
Copiah	2923	63	83	11
Covington	2543	80	137	39
De Soto	20701	248	113	24
Forrest	7507	146	227	51
Franklin	815	23	40	4
George	2370	46	59	7
Greene	1293	33	52	6
Grenada	2535	81	155	32
Hancock	3712	84	69	14
Harrison	17459	302	485	68
Hinds	19830	406	805	131
Holmes	1863	71	104	20
Humphreys	943	32	34	9
Issaquena	168	6	0	0
Itawamba	2964	76	134	23
Jackson	13078	243	240	35
Jasper	2196	48	43	2
Jefferson	647	28	41	7
Jefferson Davis	1050	32	9	1
Jones	8285	160	220	42
Kemper	950	25	44	9
Lafayette	6011	117	187	55
Lamar	6094	84	54	13
Lauderdale	7156	237	443	100
Lawrence	1260	23	27	2
Leake	2609	73	88	15
Lee	9842	169	222	41
Leflore	3467	124	236	52
Lincoln	3868	107	197	40
Lowndes	6248	144	256	63
Madison	9872	209	368	69
Marion	2652	79	158	24
Marshall	4259	100	64	15
Monroe	4054	131	190	55
Montgomery	1254	42	54	9
Neshoba	3974	176	203	59
Newton	2444	59	87	15
Noxubee	1257	33	35	6
Oktibbeha	4545	97	222	36
Panola	4429	103	104	15
Pearl River	4409	139	188	37
Perry	1250	38	21	8
Pike	3169	104	135	35
Pontotoc	4163	72	86	12
Prentiss	2750	59	99	15
Quitman	785	16	0	0
Rankin	13293	275	392	61
Scott	3096	72	115	18
Sharkey	495	17	43	8
Simpson	2873	84	157	20
Smith	1582	34	66	8
Stone	1778	31	85	14
Sunflower	3292	89	122	20
Tallahatchie	1751	40	50	7
Tate	3218	81	80	19
Tippah	2844	68	119	13
Tishomingo	2219	67	102	27
Tunica	1024	25	18	2
Union	4030	75	131	23
Walthall	1302	43	69	13
Warren	4276	118	170	37
Washington	5277	132	191	39
Wayne	2613	41	69	11
Webster	1134	32	61	12
Wilkinson	644	27	25	5
Winston	2258	81	130	39
Yalobusha	1582	36	82	22
Yazoo	3036	68	140	18
Total	306,851	7,082	10,439	1,972