Twenty-four new positive cases of COVID-19 have been reported for Lincoln County, as the state reports 3,763 new cases and 71 new deaths Monday.

The Mississsippi State Department of Health has now recorded 464,075 cases of the coronavirus and 8,976 deaths over the course of the pandemic. Nearly 2,200 of the new cases and 46 of the newly-reported deaths are confirmed — generally determined by positive PCR tests, which detect the presence of ongoing coronavirus infection. The remaining 1500-plus cases and 25 deaths are considered “probable,” meaning cases have tested positive by other testing methods or have recent symptoms of COVID-19, and deaths have a designation of COVID-19 as a cause of death of death certificates, but no confirmatory testing was performed.

Lincoln County now has 5,163 cases and 127 related deaths.

Copiah County has recorded two additional deaths and 22 more cases. Lincoln County’s other neighbors all reported more positive test results:

• Lawrence County — 2,014 cases (25 new) and 31 deaths
• Franklin County — 1,133 cases (four new) and 27 deaths
• Jefferson County — 852 cases (four new) and 32 deaths
• Amite County — 1,890 cases (nine new) and 50 deaths
• Pike County — 5,362 cases (56 new) and 128 deaths
• Walthall County — 2,010 cases (19 new) and 54 deaths

Issaquena County remains the county with the least deaths — six — and the fewest positive cases, though its count rose by one Monday to 188.

Harrison remains the county with the highest number of cases, rising by 339 to 31,603 over the weekend, and adding nine deaths to reach 458. Hinds County still has the highest death toll at 561, four more over the weekend. Its case number rose by 243 to 30,337.

De Soto County has the third-highest positive case total at 29,217 — up 327 from Friday, with its death toll remaining at 334.

 

While quarantined

King’s Daughters Medical Center recommends following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when it comes to quarantining. Current CDC recommendations are:

• Make it a staycation — Avoid leaving your home unless absolutely necessary (such as visiting your healthcare provider). That means no work, school or church and saying “No” to your cousin’s wedding.
• Visiting your healthcare provider — You may need to see your healthcare provider, or have a follow-up. Check with your provider to see if a virtual visit is possible. Or at least, call ahead first, so that the medical facility can take steps to prevent others from getting infected.
• Worried about your fur babies? — At this time, the CDC says there’s no evidence that companion animals can spread COVID-19. But it may still be good to still use caution. If you’ve been exposed to COVID-19, avoid “petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked and sharing food [during a coronavirus quarantine],” recommends the CDC.
• Do not share — “Don’t share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels or bedding with other people or pets in your home,” says the CDC.
• Wash, rinse, repeat — Hygiene is an integral part of this, even at home. Hand washing (use soap and water at least 20 seconds) should be your first line of defense when under quarantine. Hand sanitizers with minimum 60% alcohol can be used if you can wash utilize soap and water immediately. And, don’t forget, cough or sneeze into your elbows or a tissue that you then throw the tissue away.