Last week, Mississippi surpassed New Jersey as the state with the highest rate of COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 citizens, credited to August’s overwhelming strain on the state’s healthcare system due to the spread of the delta variant and low rate of vaccination.

Gov. Tate Reeves continuously skirted inquiries into his plan to address the death rate on Sept. 19, even referring to the dead as “lagging indicators,” meaning a signal that may confirm a pattern already in progress.

View our latest Data Dive detailing COVID-19 death rates across the United States in comparison with each state’s population to demonstrate the scale of the impact of the death rate on that particular citizenry:

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• View all our COVID-19 in Mississippi data and resources.

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Nigel Dent, a native of Natchez, is Mississippi Today’s audience journalist. He works as a member of the audience team to engage with readers, create audience-centered resources and distribute Mississippi Today’s news across various digital platforms, including social media and newsletter products.