More counties have been added to the Mississippi mask mandate as Gov. Tate Reeves says the virus is “extremely present.”

Tuesday, Gov. Reeves announced 13 additional counties that have qualified and met certain requirements to be placed under mask mandates with his “Safe Recovery” executive order that is in effect until Dec. 11.

Those additional counties are: Adams, Amite, Coahoma, Franklin, Jefferson, Kemper, Monroe, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Quitman, Scott, Sunflower and Washington. Fifty-four of Mississippi’s 82 counties are now under mask mandates.

“I hope that people believe me when I say this is a time when the virus is extremely present,” Reeves said. “It is all around us right now, more than almost any time before.  Please continue to be careful and safeguard yourself and your loved ones.”

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 1,141 new virus cases Tuesday and 29 new deaths, including one in Lincoln County. There were 200 current outbreaks in long-term care facilities.

Lincoln County now has reported 1,973 cases of the virus, 66 deaths, 166 LTC facility cases and 36 LTC deaths.

There have been 154,411 cases statewide and 3,836 fatalities related to the coronavirus.

As of Monday, 1,057 patients were hospitalized across Mississippi with confirmed cases of COVID-19 – the highest number to date — and 250 were intensive care units, 142 on ventilators. An additional 101 patients were hospitalized with suspected COVID infections.

As of Nov. 29, MSDH presumes 128,746 persons have recovered.