Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

NATCHEZ — The number of COVID-19 contributed hospitalizations appears to be rising in the Miss-Lou community with the rest of the region as two more COVID-19 related deaths were reported Thursday in Adams County.

Coroner James Lee said two Adams County women died with COVID-19 infection on Thursday. One was 72 years old and the other was 66. Both were unvaccinated, he said.

In addition to the two latest reported deaths, Lee said five others have died with the virus since November. On Monday, a 34-year-old man with an underlying health condition who was also unvaccinated died with COVID-19 infection, he said.

While Lee has reported new COVID-19 deaths in the county, the total number of deaths reported by the state has not changed from 125 deaths in Adams County since October. The state health department updates new COVID-19 deaths once they receive information and verify the deaths with death certificates.

As of Wednesday, the state health department reported 24 confirmed COVID-19 patients were hospitalized at Merit Health Natchez with five in ICU and no ICU beds available.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Adams County had 397 positive COVID-19 cases reported in the last seven days ending Thursday, Jan. 20, with a test positivity rate of 38.69%. The CDC states 55.2% of Adams County’s population older than five years of age is fully vaccinated.

Across the river, Concordia Parish had 361 positive COVID-19 cases reported in the last seven days ending Thursday, Jan. 20, with a test positivity rate of 51.06%. The CDC states 43.4.2% of the parish’s population older than five years of age is fully vaccinated.

Trinity Medical’s Marketing Director Brandy Spears said the hospital is equipped with five beds for COVID-19 patients and all of those beds are full. Two of the five beds are ICU beds, she said.

Spears also said Trinity Medical tests for COVID-19 daily at its ER and four clinics and about half of patients tested are testing positive.