The surge of new COVID-19 coronavirus cases in Mississippi continued to decline Monday as the state released the latest statistics on the virus, but the state’s top health officials said more deaths are likely as people continue to contract the virus.

Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) officials reported Monday that 1,561 new coronavirus cases were found over the weekend.

The additional cases reported Monday brings the total number of cases found in the state since the pandemic began to 490,777, meaning that more than 16 percent of all Mississippians have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began.

Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said the numbers show good news and bad news.

“Great news on the hospital front – COVID ICU patients declining,” he wrote on social media Monday morning. “Still substantial numbers of new admissions and more personal tragedy to come.”

Statistics indicate that approximately 1 in every 307 Mississippians has died from the virus.

MSDH reported 42 new deaths on Monday, bringing the total death toll to 9,688.

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 Friday, 44 percent of the total Mississippi population has been fully vaccinated. The number of fully vaccinated Mississippians has grown rapidly over the last several weeks but remains below the U.S. average of 56 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 872 on Monday. It was the lowest number since July 22.

The 14-day, daily average of new cases dropped to 1,048 with Monday’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 and deaths totals may change as investigation finds new or additional information.

County	Total Cases	Total Deaths	Total LTC Facility Cases	Total LTC Facility Deaths
Adams	4471	119	88	18
Alcorn	5529	91	130	20
Amite	2011	52	57	9
Attala	3273	88	187	36
Benton	1455	37	47	10
Bolivar	6186	145	239	33
Calhoun	2723	45	44	7
Carroll	1637	37	52	11
Chickasaw	2911	67	61	15
Choctaw	1305	26	12	0
Claiborne	1282	35	46	9
Clarke	2861	91	133	31
Clay	3009	74	41	5
Coahoma	4053	102	138	13
Copiah	4376	89	103	14
Covington	4224	93	142	39
De Soto	31279	376	123	26
Forrest	13289	244	283	60
Franklin	1171	28	41	5
George	4823	76	67	9
Greene	2119	47	57	6
Grenada	3624	107	156	32
Hancock	7605	123	72	15
Harrison	33619	513	531	76
Hinds	31507	603	848	139
Holmes	2649	87	109	20
Humphreys	1279	38	35	9
Issaquena	193	7	0	0
Itawamba	4512	103	135	24
Jackson	23994	364	283	40
Jasper	3209	62	46	2
Jefferson	931	33	41	7
Jefferson Davis	1696	42	9	1
Jones	13605	233	235	43
Kemper	1402	41	50	10
Lafayette	8340	137	199	56
Lamar	10361	134	56	12
Lauderdale	11751	308	481	105
Lawrence	2085	36	27	2
Leake	4032	87	99	17
Lee	15196	225	225	43
Leflore	4558	141	240	55
Lincoln	5347	133	204	40
Lowndes	10688	181	278	64
Madison	14389	275	416	72
Marion	4165	104	162	24
Marshall	6259	128	69	17
Monroe	6623	172	191	55
Montgomery	1750	54	64	10
Neshoba	6547	202	226	59
Newton	3761	77	87	15
Noxubee	1818	40	38	6
Oktibbeha	7047	125	270	37
Panola	6398	128	103	15
Pearl River	9259	231	210	42
Perry	2028	54	24	9
Pike	5672	145	173	40
Pontotoc	6425	95	86	13
Prentiss	4581	81	101	15
Quitman	1049	27	0	0
Rankin	21664	382	486	68
Scott	4662	96	116	19
Sharkey	633	20	45	8
Simpson	4371	115	160	20
Smith	2579	49	72	8
Stone	3549	62	87	14
Sunflower	4185	104	124	20
Tallahatchie	2231	50	50	7
Tate	4477	106	80	19
Tippah	4558	81	120	14
Tishomingo	3476	89	103	28
Tunica	1561	36	19	3
Union	5844	93	132	23
Walthall	2134	62	69	14
Warren	6562	173	173	38
Washington	7291	155	200	41
Wayne	4367	71	80	13
Webster	1995	45	67	14
Wilkinson	1023	37	25	6
Winston	3093	91	130	39
Yalobusha	2282	47	82	22
Yazoo	4299	86	150	20
Total	490,777	9,688	11,240	2,075