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NATCHEZ — Adams County has been labeled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as having a “high risk” for community transmission of COVID-19.

According to the CDC, Adams County’s positivity rate last week was up 10.55 percent over the week prior while the volume of those being tested for COVID-19 was down 14.29 percent.

Meanwhile, the number of people vaccinated in the county has lingered just below 40 percent of the total county population.

According to the CDC, 39 percent of Adams County residents have had at least one vaccine dose and 34.5 percent are fully vaccinated as of Monday. The vaccination rate is slightly above the State of Mississippi with 31 percent of the state’s total population fully vaccinated. Approximately 67.2 percent of people in the United States have had at least one vaccine dose, the CDC states.

The CDC also states that in Adams County, 39.7 percent of the population older than 12 years has had the vaccine, 42.6% of the population older than 18 has had the vaccine and 72.5% of the population older than 65 has had the vaccine.

In a Wednesday news release, the Mississippi State Department of Health stated that the delta variant of COVID is “rapidly infecting Mississippians” and is increasing COVID-19 hospitalizations while reporting 899 cases of COVID-19 in the state from six major variant strains.

There are 145 Mississippians currently hospitalized with COVID-19 with 35 in intensive care, MSDH states.

“Vaccination is an essential defense against this highly infectious variant,” MSDH officials said. “Vaccination is proving to be highly effective at controlling COVID-19 illness and transmission in the state. Vaccination offers excellent protection, even if you have already had COVID-19. More than 985,000 people have now been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in Mississippi.”

All Mississippians 12 and older are eligible for vaccination at the state’s free walk-in or drive-through vaccination sites.

Homebound persons can get help with COVID-19 vaccination by sending e-mail to COVIDHomebound@msdh.ms.gov. Host a vaccination event for your business or organization by writing to VaccineEvent@msdh.ms.gov

Health officials recommend those who haven’t received the vaccine to take precautions around those who may be unvaccinated by wearing a mask and social distancing, especially indoors.