Mississippi’s daily average COVID-19 caseload is now at its highest point since late October. Today, the Mississippi State Department of Health reported 745 new cases, marking the second day in a row with more than 700 cases.

Today’s total brings the seven-day rolling average for new cases to 495. The last time it was that high was on Oct. 26, 2021,when the average was 498 as cases continued to decline following the summer delta variant wave.

“Please get your booster doses—especially important if you are over 65 or have any medical conditions,” Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs tweeted today. Studies have shown that a third shot can boost vaccine effectiveness.

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported the state’s first known case of the omicron variant on Tuesday, increasing concerns about a new wave. Studies have shown that the omicron variant could be more resistant to vaccines than prior strains, but a third shot could boost protection significantly.

Award-winning News Editor Ashton Pittman, a native of the South Mississippi Pine Belt, studied journalism and political science at the University of Southern Mississippi. Previously the state reporter at the Jackson Free Press, he drove national headlines and conversations with award-winning reporting about segregation academies. He has won numerous awards, including Outstanding New Journalist in the South, for his work covering immigration raids, abortion battles and even former Gov. Phil Bryant’s unusual work with “The Bad Boys of Brexit" at the Jackson Free Press. In 2021, as a Mississippi Free Press reporter, he was named the Diamond Journalist of the Year for seven southern U.S. states in the Society of Professional Journalists Diamond Awards. A trained photojournalist, Ashton lives in South Mississippi with his husband, William, and their two pit bulls, Dorothy and Dru.