The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Mississippi State Department of Health continue to closely monitor the outbreak of respiratory illnesses caused by the novel (new) coronavirus COVID-19, and are working to limit the spread of cases nationally and in Mississippi. MSDH is actively working with doctors and hospitals to quickly identify cases and respond effectively to limit this outbreak.
Home isolation is mandatory if you have tested positive for COVID-19 by order of the State Health Officer. If you have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19, quarantine is also important to protect others.
If you are awaiting results of routine testing not related to exposure, you may return to work and follow the safety guidance of your employer.
K-12 extracurricular events: New Governor's orders for safety. More details »
Mississippi Coronavirus Hotline (7 days a week, 7 a.m.–7 p.m.): 877-978-6453
Mississippi's hospital system is overloaded by the additional burden of COVID-19 patients. If we don?t start making changes now, we?ll be forced to make cruel calculations later about who gets the medical care they need, and who does not.
MSDH Guidelines for K-12 Reopening During COVID-19: Assessing risk, preventive measures, responding to outbreaks. Document and resources »
Report a restaurant not following COVID-19 safety orders: E-mail the details to food@msdh.ms.gov
Guide to executive orders: A summary of the latest COVID-19 Executive Orders from the Governor, organized by who and what they apply to. View the guide »
Face coverings are required by order of the Governor for all Mississippians in schools, businesses and indoor public spaces, and in outdoor public spaces where consistent social distancing is not possible. Details and exceptions »
General Information
COVID-19 in Mississippi
New Cases and Deaths as of August 22
626
New COVID-19 positive test results reported to MSDH as of 6 p.m. yesterday.
3
New COVID-19 related deaths reported to MSDH as of 6 p.m. yesterday.
| County | Total |
| Harrison | 1 |
| Marion | 1 |
| Tunica | 1 |
172
Current outbreaks in long-term care facilities only. (See LTC facility outbreak definition.)
About our case counts: We currently update our case totals each day based on test results from the previous day. Outside laboratories also report positive test results to us, which are included in our totals. Repeated tests for the same individual are counted only once. County case numbers and deaths may change as investigation finds new or additional information.
County COVID-19 Data
Race and Ethnicity
- Total COVID-19 cases and deaths by county, race and ethnicity PDF
Current and past data tables, updated daily
Trends and Data for Individual Counties
High Cases and Incidence
Cumulative Cases and Deaths by County
Totals of all reported COVID-19 cases for 2020, 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. The data provided below is the most current available.
Case Classifications
Mississippi investigates and reports both probable and confirmed cases and deaths according to the CSTE case definition.
| Confirmed | Probable | Total | |
| Cases | 75,176 | 2,718 | 77,894 |
| Deaths | 2,139 | 101 | 2,240 |
Confirmed cases and deaths are generally determined by positive PCR tests, which detect the presence of ongoing coronavirus infection.
Probable cases are those who test positive by other testing methods such as antibody or antigen, and have recent symptoms consistent with COVID-19, indicating a recent infection.
Probable deaths are those individuals with a designation of COVID-19 as a cause of death on the death certificate, but where no confirmatory testing was performed.
Long-Term Care Facility Cases and Outbreaks
Long-term care (LTC) facilities like nursing homes are considered high risk locations because their residents are older or in poor health. A single confirmed COVID-19 infection in an LTC facility resident, or more than one infection in employees or staff in a 14-day period constitutes an outbreak. Residential care facilities also represent group living facilities where COVID-19 can be easily spread. We investigate residents, staff and close contacts of infected individuals for possible exposure.
These outbreak figures are reported directly to MSDH by the facility. Many of the cases and deaths reported by faciltities may not yet be included in our totals of lab-reported cases.
Mississippi COVID-19 cases and deaths in long-term care facilities PDF
Long-term care facilities include nursing homes, personal care homes, assisted living homes, and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disability (ICF-IID)Mississippi COVID-19 cases and deaths in residential care facilities PDF
Residential care facilities include psychiatric or chemical dependency residential treatment centers and long-term acute care facilities.
Ongoing Outbreaks
The table of onging outbreaks lists all facilities that have reported a current, active COVID-19 outbreak. The reported totals are for cases and deaths associated with the current outbreak only.
Note: The cases and deaths in this document have been reported to us directly by the facilities, and may not have appeared yet in our county totals, which are based on reports from testing laboratories.
- Mississippi long-term care facilities with active COVID-19 outbreaks
Current and past listings
Mississippi COVID-19 Data Charts and Map
All data reports below are updated as they become available. Updates are made daily except where noted.
Hospitalizations and Bed Availability
- Interactive chart of hospitalizations by date
- NEW: Interactive chart of local and state hospital bed availability
Cases and Deaths Data Charts
Our state case map and other data charts are also available in interactive form.
The charts below are based on available data at the time of publication. Charts do not include cases where insufficient details of the case are known.
Note: Values up to two weeks in the past on the chart of Cases by Date above can change as we update it with new information from disease investigation.
Weekly High Case and High Incidence Counties
Tracking counties with recent high numbers of COVID-19 cases, adjusted for population, provides insight on where local outbreaks are most serious, and where protective measures should be increased. For more accurate reporting, these weekly charts include sample collection dates only up to seven days in the past to allow for case investigation and delays in lab test reports.
Cases counts in these charts is based on the date of testing, not the date the test result was reported, and include only those cases where the date of testing is known.
They rank counties by weekly cases, and by incidence (cases proportional to population). A separate table ranking all counties is also available. All tables updated weekly.
Syndromic Surveillance
Emergency department visits by those with symptoms characteristic of COVID-19, influenza and pneumonia, updated weekly.
Estimated Recoveries
Presumed COVID-19 cases recovered, estimated weekly (does not include cases still under investigation).
U.S. and World Cases
- COVID-19 cases in the United States (CDC)
- U.S. COVID-19 Tracker (CDC)
- COVID-19 Global Case Map (Johns Hopkins University)
COVID-19 Testing
Statewide Combined Testing as of August 21
COVID-19 testing providers around the state include commercial laboratories as well as hospital labs. Combined with testing done by the MSDH Public Health Laboratory, the figures provide a complete picture of all Mississippi testing.
PCR testing detects current, active COVID-19 infection in an individual.
Antibody (serology) testing identifies individuals with past COVID-19 infection based on antibodies they develop one to three weeks after infection.
| Total tests | PCR | Antibody | Antigen | |
| MSDH Public Health Laboratory | 94,956 | 94,288 | 668 | 0 |
| Other testing providers | 481,232 | 436,686 | 22,194 | 22,352 |
| Total tests for COVID-19 statewide | 576,188 | 530,974 | 22,862 | 22,352 |
MSDH Individuals Tested as of August 22
MSDH Public Health Laboratory (MPHL) testing totals as of 3 p.m. These totals are for tests performed at the MPHL only.
- Total individuals tested by the MPHL: 73,604
- Total positive individuals from MPHL tests: 8,219
Getting Tested for COVID-19
The MSDH Public Health Laboratory, its partners, and private providers are testing statewide for COVID-19.
Anyone with symptoms of fever, severe cough or severe chest pains – especially those who are older or in poor health – should make arrangements for testing with their doctor or one of the many healthcare providers now performing testing. Healthcare providers can assess your health history and symptoms, and perform testing for COVID-19 as needed. MSDH is also helping conduct free drive-up testing sites in many parts of the state. Always call ahead to the testing provider for instructions on safely being examined before you visit for your test.
