A day after reporting low numbers of new COVID-19 coronavirus tied to hurricane-related closures, Mississippi reported nearly 3,000 new cases Wednesday and dozens more deaths.

Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) officials reported Wednesday that 2,939 new coronavirus cases were found in the last 24 hours.

The additional cases reported Wednesday brings the total number of cases found in the state since the pandemic began to 439,661, meaning that 14.8 percent of all Mississippians have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began.

MSDH reported 81 new deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total death toll to 8,490.

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 Tuesday, only 39 percent of the total population has been fully vaccinated, nearly the worst in the nation and well below the U.S. average of 52 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 dropped to 2,784 on Wednesday.

The 14-day, daily average of new cases dropped to 3,091 with Wednesday’s update.

Cumulative Cases and Deaths by County