With 11 days left in the month, August just became the month with the highest number of new COVID-19 coronavirus cases since the pandemic began after the state reported more than 5,000 new cases in the last 24 hours.

Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) officials reported Friday that 5,048 new coronavirus cases were found in the last 24 hours, as the state reported new records in almost any category related to COVID-19

The additional cases reported Friday brings the total number of cases found in the state since the pandemic began to 406,249. The total number of cases indicates approximately 14 percent of all Mississippians have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began.

Through Wednesday, Mississippi hospitals were caring for a record 1,660 positive COVID cases with another 72 suspected cases in state hospital beds. A total of 457 people were in ICU beds with a record 324 on ventilators.

Mississippi has seen a steep rise in cases since early July.

Since the beginning of August, Mississippi has already reported more new cases than any month since the pandemic began in March 2020.

Here’s how the monthly numbers break down for each month of 2021:

January ’21	59,185
February ’21	19,794
March ’21	10,351
April ’21	6,754
May ’21	5,931
June ’21	4,051
July ’21	21,741
August ’21 (MTD)	62,744

The high number of cases so far in August means, statistically,  means more than 2 out of every 100 Mississippi residents has contracted the virus this month.

MSDH reported 54 new deaths on Friday, bringing the total death toll to 7,991.

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.

The recent spikes in cases and deaths have prompted more people to get vaccinated. More than 71,000 were vaccinated last week, up significantly from the low week in early July when less than 20,000 were vaccinated.

“Most of these folks that we’re losing could have made it if they had been vaccinated beforehand,” Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said Wednesday.

Through Thursday, nly 37 percent of the total population has been fully vaccinated, nearly the worst in the nation and well below the U.S. average of 50 percent.

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 rose to 3,586 on Friday, another record high since the pandemic began.

The 14-day, daily average of new cases jumped to another new record to 3,486 with Friday’s update.

Cumulative Cases and Deaths by County