Mississippi is approaching its record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations as the virus continues spreading rapidly in a state with one of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S.
The state Health Department reported Tuesday that 1,410 patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were in Mississippi hospitals Monday. Cases and hospitalizations have risen sharply in recent weeks because of the highly contagious delta variant of the virus.
Mississippi’s highest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations for a single day was 1,444 on Jan. 4, before vaccines against the virus were widely available.