Mississippi Orders Isolation Amid ‘Staggering’ COVID Case Count

Mississippi, which is in the throes of a devastating COVID surge, has ordered anyone infected with the coronavirus to isolate at home for 10 days, even if they have been vaccinated. Anyone who breaks the quarantine can now be hit with a fine or even jailed. The state has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the country, which allowed the Delta variant to barrel through the population. Earlier this week, State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs said Mississippi was coping with the “worst part” of the pandemic and only expected the crisis to deepen. Thousands of school kids are in quarantine, and field hospitals have been opened to handle the crush of new patients. The state recorded 5,048 new cases on Friday—its pandemic record. “These numbers are staggering,” Dr. Paul Byers, the state epidemiologist, said. “They’re real and they’re staggering.”