Nearly a week after hitting a single-day high of reported COVID-19 cases, Mississippi surpassed that total on Wednesday.

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 273 new COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths as of 6 p.m. on Tuesday. The case number sets a new single-day total after reporting 257 cases on April 9.

Mississippi’s totals are now 3,360 cases and 122 deaths. The state’s mortality rate is 3.6 percent.

Lafayette County reported three new cases for the second straight day on Wednesday, bringing its totals to 36 cases and two deaths. On Monday, Lafayette County emergency management director Steve Quarles announced there were actually two deaths in the county instead of just the one that had been reported by MSDH. The second death occurred sometime last week, according to Quarles.

The MSDH officially reported the second death on Tuesday. When contacted by the EAGLE on Tuesday for clarification regarding why the death was reported nearly a week later, a spokesperson provided the following statement:

“There can be a lag time from when a patient dies and when it is reported to the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH). Further, the local EMAs are not the official source of information regarding COVID-19. Positive cases and deaths are not official until reported by MSDH. COVID-19 deaths are reported to us from several different resources.”

On Tuesday, Governor Tate Reeves announced all public schools would remain closed to in-person instruction through the remainder of the current school year. Distance learning will still take place for Oxford and Lafayette School District students.

The Mississippi High School Activities Association canceled the remainder of the spring sports season during a meeting on Wednesday.