A “skyrocketing” number of COVID-19 coronavirus patients has Mississippi’s health care system bracing for additional pressure, and with new cases growing rapidly, the hospital situation is likely to get worse soon, health officials said Thursday.

Mississippi State Department of Health officials reported that through Wednesday more than 800 people were hospitalized with either test-confirmed COVID-19 (776 patients) or suspected, but not yet test-confirmed COVID-19 (35 patients). Early in July, that combined number was less than 200 patients.

The state’s online tracking tools showed that in the Jackson area approximately 10 ICU beds remained available through Wednesday.

Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs wrote on social media the problem is getting worse as numbers of hospital admissions with COVID-19 are spiking.

“Hospitalizations skyrocketing (and younger age groups),” Dobbs wrote. “(I) spoke with a large hospital yesterday with (approximately) 20 COVID in ICU. Age range 26-64.”

Hattiesburg pediatrician Dr. Anita Henderson, president of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, also wrote on social media urging Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves to enact a plan to help curb the spread of the virus.

“Mississippi is averaging 64 more in the hospital/day, 14 more in the ICU/day and 10 more on the ventilator/day over the last 5 days,” Henderson wrote. “This is unsustainable @tatereeves. We need a plan help all Mississippians.”

Reeves has said he would not mandate face mask usage and other mitigation means again, in spite of growing warnings from the CDC and his own health department.

Mississippi State Department of Health officials reported Thursday that 1,908 new coronavirus cases were found in the last 24 hours.

Thursday’s report was the highest number of cases found in a 24-hour period since late January.

The additional cases reported Thursday brings the total number of cases found in the state since the pandemic began to 341,862.

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported four new deaths on Thursday, bringing the total death toll to 7,533.

Mississippi health leaders have said that a combination of a low overall vaccination rate among Mississippians along with a rapidly spreading Delta variant is causing the recent surge in cases.

Through Wednesday morning, approximately 36% of all Mississippians have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccines available.

And approximately 32% of Mississippi’s population are fully vaccinated, the state reported.

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

The 7-day, daily average of new cases jumped to 1,428 on Thursday, the highest level since February 1. By comparison, the rate was 193 on July 1, meaning in approximately four weeks the average number of new cases has increased 641 percent since the start of July.

The 14-day, daily average of new cases rose to 1,114 with Thursday’s update. It was the highest level since February 9.

Cumulative Cases and Deaths by County