COVID-19 Cases Creep Up; Hospitalizations Still Low

By Alyssa Schnugg

News editor

alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Lafayette County has risen in the last eight days; however, hospitalizations are still down from where they were in September.

According to the Mississippi State Department of Health data, 92 new cases were reported in Lafayette County since Nov. 1, up from 54 new cases the week prior.

Since March 2020, there have been 8, 703 cases in Lafayette County and 141 deaths due to COVID-19.

Even with an increase of new cases, Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi is low hospitalizations due to the virus. As of today, there were are eight people in the hospital with COVID-19, and three are in the ICU.

COVID-19 cases in area schools started declining in late October and have remained low.

The Oxford School District reported eight cases from Nov. 1-7, with two teachers and six students testing positive. There are currently 37 students in quarantine.

The Lafayette County School district reported two to 10 new cases the week of Oct. 25-29. The school district reports its data to the MSDH, which reports cases using 1-5 to protect the personal identity of patients. There were 24 students in quarantine.

At the University of Mississippi, 10 new cases were reported in the last seven days, up slighting from seven cases the week prior. There are nine active cases on campus.

According to the MSDH, 55 percent of Lafayette County residents have had at least one vaccination shot and 51 percent are fully vaccinated.