More than 100 new positive cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Lincoln County over the past week and three new related deaths.

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 31 new cases over the weekend in the county, bringing the to-date total to 4,431. Deaths are now at 119.

“The numbers are high and steadily going,” said Lincoln County Emergency Management Director Chris Reid. “For right now, the 25-to-39 age group is showing the highest number of cases.”

Statewide, 7,839 new cases were reported over the three-day weekend, bringing the state total to 388,986 — after a week in which Mississippi saw its three highest one-day totals to date for the pandemic.

Fifty-two deaths were also reported for the weekend. Thirty occurred Aug. 2-15, and 22 were identified from death certificates for the period of July 25 through Aug. 9.

“The COVID-19 situation is worsening in our state,” said Dr. LouAnn Woodward, University of Mississippi Medical Center’s vice chancellor for health affairs, via statement.

UMMC began setting up a second emergency field hospital in a parking garage Sunday that will handle some of the sickest patients. Christian relief charity Samaritan’s Purse will set up the mobile intensive care unit with a medical team in a garage near Children’s Hospital of Mississippi. This is the sixth emergency hospital set up worldwide by the charity.

With assistance from the federal government, UMMC set up its first emergency field hospital last week. The second field hospital is expected to be ready for patients by midweek.

In the coming days, an additional tent will be set up where COVID-positive patients can receive monoclonal antibody treatments, Woodward said.

Twenty COVID-positive patients were being treated at King’s Daughters Medical Center as of 10:30 a.m. Monday. Eighteen were unvaccinated. Twelve of the patients are in the ICU and eight are on ventilators. Emergency room staff had seen 34 patients in the previous 24 hours for COVID-related issues.

Reid said a big contributing factor to the rapid spread of the virus is lack of vaccinations.

“It’s spreading through people are not vaccinated,” he said. “You can still get it if you’re vaccinated but the symptoms are not as bad. There are still some deaths and hospitalizations, but vaccinations seem to be keeping most of these folks out of the hospital.”